A Journey in a Different Time
by Rozanna
Summary: Hey guy's it's Kunasu! I'm moving my stories to my new account 'cause i couldn't go back to my old one. I'll add more chapters on here!
1. Chapter 1

_A Journey in a Different Time  
-Chapter 1-  
Going into Time _

(Note: It might be confusing a little bit in the beginning but you'll get use to it.)

"I'm off! I'm going to the other side!" Said Kagome. Kagome grabbed her big yellow backpack. It had extra clothes, food and homework and a sleeping bag. She put the straps over her shoulders and was heading to the door.

"Kagome, wait!" Said Mrs. Higurashi. Kagome stopped and turned around to face her mother. "How long are you going to be staying?"

"A couple of days! If something goes wrong, it might be longer then that!"

"If that's the case then make sure you wash your clothes in that place!"

"I will! See you later!" She ran out of the door and was heading to the well house. She lived in the Higurashi Shrine. Where there are all kinds of history that information usually comes from her Grandpa. Most of that information was about the well. She didn't believe him at first, but after what happened, she started to believe.

She slid the door open to get inside the well house and closed it behind her. She walked down the stairs to get to the well. She went on the edge of the well and jumped down.

Mrs. Higurashi just remembered to ask someone something. She picked up the phone and dialed the number. She waited until she heard someone say something on the other end.

"This is Mrs. Bitting! How may I help you?" Said the voice on the other end.

"It's Mrs. Higurashi! I need your daughter to do something for me! Can she help me with the groceries? I'm almost out of food because of someone," said Mrs. Higurashi. We all know who is taking the food.

"Sure! I'll send her right away!"

"Arigato Mrs. Bitting!" They both hanged up at the same time.

Mrs. Higurashi went upstairs to prepare a list. It's going to be a LOOOOOOOOONG list.

"Michelle! Come down!" Said Mrs. Bitting. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and she saw her daughter. She is 15, the same age as Kagome and Michelle goes to the same school as her. She has short brown hair a little over the shoulder, hazel eyes and a scrunchy on her right wrist just in case she wants to put her hair in a ponytail. ( That is what I look like in real life!)

"What is it, mom?" Asked Michelle. (Of course, this is what I imagine myself in this world.)

"You need to go to the Higurashi Shrine to help Mrs. Higurashi with the groceries."

"But why can't you do it?"

"Because Mrs. Higurashi only asks me for REAL emergencies! So you're going to have to go! Besides, I'm going somewhere soon."

"But mom-"

"Don't but me! Just go!"

"Fine!" It's only a 5 min. walk to that place. She didn't like that place much because it was a shrine and all. So she slammed the door on her way out.

When she got there, she knocked on the door. She waited for someone to open the door, but no one didn't. She knocked again, this time someone opened the door. It was the grandpa.

"Is Mrs. Higurashi here?" Asked Michelle.

"She's upstairs making a list of groceries. It's a long list so I wouldn't bother her if I were you," answered Grandpa.

"Great! It's just a waste of time to wait!"

"Can you do something for me? I need you to do a little prayer over there." He was pointing at the well house. Michelle looked at it and then looked back at the grandpa. "It's for my granddaughter. She's sick and is going into surgery tomorrow."

"This is a weird family! All right!" She turned around and walked to the well house. She slid the door open and closed it behind her. She walked down the stairs to the well. She turned around and sat on the edge, which means her back is facing the well. She might fall if she leans backwards.

Michelle did a little prayer for the person. When she was done, she put her hands on her short green skirt. She never seen the granddaughter before...maybe but probably hasn't paid any attention to her.

"It's quite...just the way I like it! But it's too dark; they should at least put a light bulb here!" Said Michelle. She wanted to stay in there longer because it was nice and quiet! She put her hands on the back of her head, which means her elbows where in the air. She leaned back and just realized something. There was no wall behind her!

She fell backward and she thought she was going to hurt her back. But something wasn't right. She didn't see the brown wood of the well anymore. She saw navy blue around her and a few white spots. Her hair was spreading out like it was in water. Was she falling or floating? She didn't know what was going on.

The next thing she knew, everything went black.

"OSUWARI!" Angered Kagome. Of course, hit the ground flat on his face. "Inuyasha! You're such an IDIOT! I'M GOING HOME!" They were only a few feet away from the well.

She stomped her way to the well, with her arms crossed and being very pissed at Inuyasha like always. When she got to the edge of the well, she didn't bother looking down. She was WAY too pissed at Inuyasha. She jumped down in a standing position, with her eyes closed and her arms still crossed.

Her feet landed on the ground and waited until she knew she was home. After she was sure, she let her arms down and looked up. But something wasn't right. She was seeing the blue sky, not the roof of the well house. She was still in that time. She looked down and saw a hand. Her eyes followed the hand and it lead to a teenage girl's body.

The girl had short brown hair and a scrunchy on her right wrist. Her left hand was resting on her stomach and her right hand was at her face level. She was unconscious, Kagome knows that. She was wearing the same school uniform as her. They go to the same school?

Kagome bend down to check if she has a pulse. She did...she's still alive! Now she needed to get Inuyasha's attention to help her get this girl out of here. But she's so familiar...

"INUYASHA! OSUWARI!" She heard the bang on the ground and waited for Inuyasha to get over there and get angry and ask what she wants.

Inuyasha ran to the well. He put his hands on the edge and looked down. "What the hell do you want?" Angered Inuyasha. He saw another girl with Kagome. He jumped down and landed on the ground, standing next to Kagome. "Who is this girl?" He knew this girl was from Kagome's world.

"I don't know. But, can you help me to get her out?"

"Yeah, just let me do something first!" Kagome gave him a confused look. He grabbed her wrist and threw her out of the well. She landed on the ground outside of the well. Her heart was beating fast. Miroku, Sango and Shippo went to check on her.

Inuyasha bend down to put the girl in his arms. One arm around her back and the other under her knees. He jumped out of the well and landed on the edge of it. Everybody looked at him with confusion in their faces. Inuyasha just ignored them and he jumped off the edge and landed on the ground. He put the girl down gently.

Everybody surrounded her and wondered who she is. "Maybe I should get some water," said Kagome. "Sango! Come with me!"

Sango nodded and she ran with Kagome to go to Kaede's village. While the boys just stay put and look at the girl.

"I guess she is from Kagome's world," said Shippo.

"It's easy to tell by the appearance. But who is she?" Questioned Miroku.

"Can you two shut up? She's starting to wake up!" Commanded Inuyasha.

The girl was struggling to open her eyes. She opens them, but barely. Her vision was a little blurry. So she thought Inuyasha and Miroku were something else. So she slapped both of them and they fell to the ground. That gave the girl a chance to escape.

"Inuyasha! The girl is escaping!" Said Shippo.

"I know that!" He ran after her, but the problem is he couldn't keep up. How was she a little faster then him? She must be an athlete. And to Inuyasha, the girl was running for her life. "If she doesn't stop, she's going to die by a demon!" He then decided he was wasting time. So he jumped in front of her to make her stop. She was shocked and she fell backwards and fell on her bottom.

"Get away from me, you monster!" Said the girl with a terrified look on her face.

"Monster?" Inuyasha made an evil glare at the girl.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Kagome and Sango were running with a bowl of water in their hands. They just hoped that the girl didn't wake up. But once she wakes up, they're going to have to question her about how she got there. Duh, of course the well! But HOW exactly? So they thought of all kinds of questions to ask when the girl wakes up.

When they arrived to the spot where they left the boys, they found the girl wasn't lying on the ground and the guys's backs were facing them. The guys were facing the girl, whose back was against the well. She was tied up around her ankles, and tied up on the arms. Let's just say she was tied up the same way when Kagome first came here.

Kagome found her tape out of her backpack. She figured the guys used it to cover the girl's mouth from screaming. She couldn't speak or move even if she wanted to. At least Kagome got a chance to see the girl's eyes. It was a beautiful hazel color; Kagome hasn't seen anything like it.

She bends down on one knee to look at the eyes clearer. After that, she turned her head to the guys. "What did you do to her?" Asked Kagome.

"Do? We didn't do anything to her! She tried to escape from us!" Answered Inuyasha.

"The only thing Inuyasha did was to get her back. She called him a monster and he decided for all three of us to tie her up!" Said Shippo.

"But I would say it's against me!" Said Miroku.

"But you still helped them tied her up, Miroku!" Angered Sango. "We were supposed to question her, not tie her up and make her be angry at us!" She hit him in the back of the head.

"Guys! Just stop beating each other up before you gets her to be afraid!" Said Kagome. She took the girl's arm and helped her up to stand. At least she can stand with her ankles tied up. "I'm going to remove this tape; once I do you have to tell us your name. Got it?"

The girl nodded and Kagome took off the tape. But that was a mistake for Kagome. "Get the hell away from me!" Screamed the girl. She tried to jump on the edge of the well where she thinks she came from.

"Wait! You're going to hurt your head if you fall!" Said Kagome. But it was too late. The girl's foot slipped off the edge. The others were worried she was going to hit her head and not remember who she was.

"Help me!" Said the girl. Luckily, Inuyasha grabbed her hair from falling. But instead of helping the girl, he was only hurting her. He pulled her to his level so they can be in eye contact.

"Will you make up your mind? We either leave you or help you! So what is it?" Angered Inuyasha.

"Just help me! And hurry! You're pulling my hair!" Said the girl.

He pulled her out of the well and dropped her when she was above ground. She landed on her bottom which gave her a little pain on her hip. Kagome put the tape over her mouth and waited for the girl to calm down before she takes it off again. After a minute or two later, Kagome grabbed the end of the tape to get ready to pull it off.

"Now! I'm kind of getting angry! So, you HAVE to tell us your name! Understand?" Angered Kagome.

The girl nodded once again with a mean expression on her face. Kagome took it off and waited for the girl to speak. But she didn't. That got Sango pissed and made her take out her sword and point the end of it at the girl's neck.

"Just tell us your name! Before I'm forced to slice you up!" Said Sango.

"All right! My name is Michelle Bitting! There! Are you happy now?" Said Michelle.

"Really happy!" Sango put her sword away and waited for Kagome to question her. Sango untied the ropes around her so she can move freely. Kagome was thinking on the name of how it sounds so familiar.

"Michelle? I think I know you! Are you the star on the volley ball team?" Asked Kagome.

"Yes, that makes me an athlete! And you must be Kagome Higurashi. Your mom asked me to help you with the groceries but she wasn't done making a list. So your grandpa made me pray in the well place and I fell in the well!"

"That was the question I was about to ask. How did you get here? But you already answered that question. But only I and Inuyasha are the only ones who can time travel. Did you come here by the Shikon no Tama?"

"What's that?"

Kagome took out a little bottle with two big shards in it. "The Shikon no Tama is broken so we're trying to find the shards so we can make it whole again. Do you have a shard of this?"

"No! I don't even know what that THING can do! I'm out of here!"

Michelle walked her way to the well. She jumped over it and landed on the ground. She was waiting for the area to turn blue like it did before, but it didn't. She tapped the ground to see if it'll work.

Kagome jumped down and landed next to her. "I think we're stuck here. I tried to go back home before but it didn't work. Then I found you and went to fetch some water," said Kagome.

"So does that mean we're trapped in this world?" Michelle remembered the area she was in outside the well. She never gets to ask the question where she was. "Where am I anyway?"

"In the Feudal Japan Era! Before I start to explain things, let me introduce you to everybody!"

Kagome went to grab the vines and climbed out of there. Michelle saw what she was doing and climbed too. Kagome got out first; she turned around and waited for Michelle to come to the surface. When she did, Kagome helped her out of the well.

"The one in silver hair is Inuyasha, the one with the blue bow is Shippo, with the staff is Miroku and the one with the huge boomerang is Sango. Hey! Are you even listening to me?"

Michelle wasn't paying attention. She was looking at the ground for some reason. Kagome was worried and put her hand on her shoulder. "Something is coming...strong wind," said Michelle.

"Kagura? Does this mean this girl can sense danger coming? Forget it! I'll ask her later! If you said strong wind is coming, then that means Kagura is near by!" Said Inuyasha.

"Who's Kagura?" Asked Michelle. Inuyasha didn't answer her. He was looking at the meadow field in front of them. She had no idea what's going on. So she asked Kagome. "Who the heck is Kagura?"

"You'll see..." said Kagome.

Michelle felt the strong wind blowing at her. She never felt this kind of wind before. She already didn't like the place and wanted to get out of here. But before she left, she wanted to ask the guy in the red kimono why he has dog ears.

"She's here..." Said Inuyasha.

Michelle saw a feather in the air, but it was no ordinary feather. It was bigger then the regular size. But the feather disappeared as soon as the feather landed on the ground. She saw a woman with black hair, red eyes, and two pieces of feathers in her hair and a fan in her hand.

"What do you want, Kagura?" Asked Sango.

"I came here to make sure the girl is here!" Answered Kagura.

"What does Michelle have to do with this?" Asked Miroku.

"She has a jewel shard with her...Naraku sent a demon with the jewel shard to follow Kagome to her world. So the demon can find the person who is just like Kagome and leave the Shikon shard to that person. Now I came here to retrieve the shard and the girl!"

"Demons? Me? Why does she need to retrieve me? And there are demons living in this time period?" Asked Michelle.

"Shard? But I didn't sense any Shikon shard on her." Said Kagome. She looked at Michelle to search the shard on her. She found a glowing pink spot on her. It was in her skirt pocket. How come she couldn't see it before when she woke up or when she found her?

"Come here little girl so we can be on our way to Naraku!" Commanded Kagura.

Michelle was afraid so she hid herself behind Kagome. But then everything changed. She saw the guy in the red kimono took out his sword, somehow, it transformed. Then she noticed the woman, Kagura, was walking over to them.

"Kitsunebi!" The little kid blew out some blue fire out of his hand at Kagura. She used her fan to get rid of the blue fire. She laughed, saying it was pathetic. She lifts up her fan with a smile on her face.

"Dance of Blades!" She swung the fan and it created white blades which were heading towards them. Michelle was even more scared.

Sango came in front of them and used her boomerang to help Inuyasha block the blades. Then Miroku came in front of them all and took off the prayer beads off of his right arm and stuck his hand at Kagura.

Kagura realized what he was about to do and took a feather off of her head. The feather transformed and she jumped on it to make her escape. She looked back at them before she went out of sight. "Maybe next time I'll do a sneak attack!" Said Kagura.

They all waited until Kagura was nowhere in sight. When they couldn't see her anymore Inuyasha put his sword away. Sango put the boomerang behind her and Miroku put the prayer beads back on. After that, they turned around and faced Kagome, Michelle and Shippo. Kagome and Shippo had a normal look on their face but Michelle had a terrified look on her face.

"W-What was that?" Asked Michelle. "And...WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?"

Kagome was feeling sorry for her. This girl was afraid and she knew she needed some comfort. Kagome put her hand on Michelle's shoulder again.

"Don't worry! We'll explain everything to you. Just trust us and we'll help you," said Kagome.

Michelle looked at her. She saw Kagome gave her a warm smile so she smiled back. Yeah, that's what she needed...someone to trust and someone to help her. Then everything will begin to make perfect sense. But the thing is she never knew Kagome. They only have seen each other in class and had never known each other. How was she supposed to trust her?


	2. Chapter 2

_A Journey in a Different Time  
-Chapter 2-  
Deciding if to go on the Journey_

Kagome explained everything to Michelle while Inuyasha and Shippo were training. Michelle knew the names to everybody and was wondering why demons exist now. They were supposed to be extinct! But then she realized it was the Feudal Japan Era. This was way before Tokyo was created.

But she was still afraid...about the demons. Kagome explained about Kagura. Miroku and Sango tried to be helpful but it wasn't working.

Now Kagome was wondering about the Shikon jewel shard in Michelle's skirt pocket. She wanted her to get it out for her. "Michelle...can you take out whatever is in your side pocket?" Asked Kagome.

"Sure! But, I don't think there is anything in my pocket," answered Michelle. She put her hand in her pocket and searched all over to find if anything is in it. She felt something sharp and pulled it out. It was a shard of something.

"That's the Shikon jewel shard Kagura was talking about. You had it! But that doesn't explain everything on how the time warp is closed," explained Kagome. "Can I add it to my collection?"

"Um, Kagome? Maybe we should let her watch over it. She is the one that had it before Kagura," said Sango.

"I agree, Michelle should be the one to have it," said Miroku.

"Wait! I'm not sure because I'm not THAT responsible if this thing is valuable! I might lose it or someone might steal it away from me. Or a demon beats me to death until it gets it from me!" Cried Michelle.

"Man you have a lot of negative thoughts! Do you ever think of positive thoughts?" Asked Kagome.

"Not really! I mostly think of negative thoughts for some reason! Anyway...what am I suppose to do right now? I have to do something besides watch over this...shard."

Kagome was thinking on that. Michelle couldn't stay in Kaede's village; she wouldn't get help from there. And she can't stay by the well because demons might come and kill her and take the jewel shard and then Inuyasha will be pissed. There was only one solution!

"You're going to have to come with us on a journey to look for the shards!" Said Kagome.

"What? But, you guys go into battle and I CAN'T do anything in battle besides run away! You let that kid Shippo fight-" Michelle was about to finish her sentence but Shippo stopped and cut her off.

"I'm not a kid! I'm an ADULT!" Said Shippo and he continued back to training.

"Whatever! Anyway! I can't do anything to help you guys!"

"But you're the only one who can sense danger coming! And you're right; you need to do something else! I know! You can use a bow and arrow like me!"

"But I never used one in my life!"

"Don't worry! I was like that the first time I used it! But I got use to it and it's much easier to aim! Inuyasha!" Inuyasha stopped training with Shippo and looked at Kagome. "You need to stand right in front of the tree!"

"Why should I?" Asked Inuyasha.

"Because I said so!" Answered Kagome.

Inuyasha growled at her. He didn't want to do it. What is she going to do anyway? He ignored that question in his head and he just stand in front of the tree. His back was against the tree, maybe that's what Kagome wants him to do.

Kagome grabbed Michelle's arm and made her stand 10 feet away from Inuyasha. Kagome had her bow and arrows with her. Everybody else was wondering what Kagome is doing.

"We'll do some target practice! The reason I'm using Inuyasha to be the target is because he can't really feel the human arrows. Now, do what I do!" Kagome held her bow and let the arrow rest on her thumb so she can aim at Inuyasha. She handed the bow and arrow to Michelle and waited for her to do it. She did it, now all she has to do is shoot the arrow at Inuyasha to try and get a perfect shot.

"Now what?" Asked Michelle.

"Now shoot the arrow at Inuyasha! Just make you're aiming at the chest or the upper arm. But not below the stomach or above the neck!"

Michelle's arms were shaking. She had one eye closed and the other eye was trying to aim at Inuyasha. She was afraid to let it shoot for some reason. She let it go and she watched where the arrow was aiming. It was aiming above Inuyasha's head! She hit the tree!

"I think this girl is trying to kill me!" Said Inuyasha.

"That's all right! You just need to aim a little lower, aim in the chest! Here! Do it one more time!" Commanded Kagome. She gave Michelle another arrow.

"She's a control freak!" Said Michelle. She got her bow and arrow ready and she tried to aim it at Inuyasha's chest. Again she was shaking and couldn't stop herself. She somehow imagined Inuyasha a horrifying demon and just shot her arrow! Michelle had her eyes closed and didn't see where the arrow hit. She was on her knees with her eyes closed real tight. She was afraid she would miss. But that was when Kagome spoke up.

"Well, you almost had it! You just need to aim the arrow a little higher and a little to the right!" Said Kagome.

Michelle opened her eyes and looked at the spot where the arrow hit. It hit Inuyasha's right sleeve. She saw Inuyasha had his eyes closed, probably because he knows that Michelle is not going to actually hit the chest. Suddenly, Michelle panicked and gave the bow and arrow to Kagome.

"Here! You do it! I don't want to do it anymore!" Said Michelle.

"O...Kay! Here! Let me show you how it's done!" Said Kagome.

"Wait! Not Kagome! Kagome! WAIT!" Commanded Inuyasha. Too late! Kagome already shot the arrow at Inuyasha. Michelle saw the pink glow around the bow and was amazed by it. Inuyasha on the other hand, panicked and ducked below, making the arrow to hit the tree. Inuyasha stood back up and grabbed Kagome's arrow. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Trying to be Kikyo?"

"NO! I was trying to show Michelle how to use the arrow! WHY?" Asked Kagome.

"Because Kikyo was the one who used her arrow to pin me to a tree!"

"Well you should've reminded me!"

"You're the one with the miko powers!"

Sango, Miroku and Shippo were embarrassed by them. They just would never stop fighting. Miroku got up and grabbed Michelle's arm, then Sango grabbed her other arm and had a weird smile on their faces.

"Uh, let's go! Before both of them start to explode!" Said Sango.

"It's best for us to leave them alone and let them fight!" Said Miroku.

Then Shippo climbed on to Michelle to sit on top of her head. "Once we leave, they won't blame us for anything!" Said Shippo.

Miroku and Sango started to pull her to Kaede's village so they can get away from the fighting freaks! "Where are we going?" Asked Michelle.

"We're going to Kaede's Village! The people there are really friendly!" Answered Shippo.

"Who's Kaede?"

"You'll see!"

Before they left, Michelle looked back at Kagome who was fighting with Inuyasha. She was thinking on how she did that. "That pink glow...how did she do that?" She turned her back to the road in front of her and let Miroku and Sango pull her to the village.

Once they were no where in sight, Kagome and Inuyasha were still fighting. Kagome was so getting closer and closer for saying the 's' word. But she couldn't get the chance to say it yet.

"It seems to me you're trying to be Kikyo! By sealing me with that arrow!" Said Inuyasha.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I was only trying to Michelle how it's done!" Shouted Kagome.

"I don't care! Why do you want that girl to join us on a journey to look for the shards anyway? She CAN'T do anything!"

"She can sense danger coming which gives us an advantage to prepare!"

"I don't care about that either! We don't need another human in our group! Tell her she has to go back home!"

"I can't! The time warp is closed! Neither me nor Michelle can go back home! I and she are stuck here until we complete the Shikon no Tama! Then me and her will use it to go home so the Shikon no Tama can be purified so it can no longer exist!"

"Fine! Let's just hurry before I start to claw her!"

"Why do you hate her so much?"

"There's no reason for me to tell you anything! Hey! Since when did we change the subject from you being like Kikyo from discussing about that girl?"

"I was the one that change the subject!"

"Then change it back!"

"Fine! I wasn't trying to kill you!"

"Didn't you already say that?"

"Yes I did! But it seems like you think I'm Kikyo every SINGLE DAY!"

"IF you were Kikyo every SINGLE DAY, you would be an ugly witch just to get revenge on me!" Oh! He shouldn't have said that. Kagome exploded! She was clenching her fists which caused a few veins on her hands and on her head. Also, clenching her teeth is a very bad.

"O-OSUWARI!" The prayer beads forced him to hit the ground flat on his face. Inuyasha didn't see Kagome leave because his face was in the ground. But he did hear her leave. When she heard her footsteps were gone he sat back up and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't know anything about this girl. But he knows only one thing.

"I HATE THAT GIRL!" Yelled Inuyasha.

"What's this girl's name again?" Asked Kaede. Kaede was standing out of her house with Sango. Miroku was inside with Shippo meditating. Michelle was just walking on to the tree. ( Where Kagome and Inuyasha was first eating together in the second episode.)

"Her name is Michelle. She's so much like Kagome for some reason. But I have a feeling she doesn't like us and decides not to come with us. She could get killed if she wonders off on her own," said Sango.

Kaede and Sango were just watching Michelle climb the tree to the top to get a better view of the village. "You mean she'll join you?"

"Kagome hopes she would. But I don't know...it seems to me only one of us hates her."

"Who might that be?"

"Who else! Inuyasha!"

"Why I am not surprised? And what about the girl?"

"Dunno! But I'm afraid...she might go crazy and she won't be able to get along with us."

Michelle was standing on the highest tree branch to get a good view. So far she was enjoying it. She may not like the place, but she likes the view. She loved the cool breeze on her face and it blowing through her hair.

But the wind was making her hair get in the way from seeing the lovely land. So she took her scrunchy off of her right wrist and used it to tie up her hair and put it in a ponytail. There! That's much better. Then she got bored of standing on the same spot on the branch. So she decided to walk back and forth on the tree.

"Hey Michelle!"

"Ah!" Her foot slipped. Before she completely fell, she made her arms wrapped around the tree branch she fell off of. She couldn't bring herself up so she just looked down at the position she was in. She saw Kagome on the grass waving her hand.

"Oh! Sorry about that! I didn't know you were going to ACTUALLY walk on the branch," said Kagome.

"That's okay! The important thing is that I didn't fall off completely!" Said Michelle.

"That's great!" She gave her a warm smile. "The reason I called your name is because we're going to eat dinner! It's some delicious soup!"

"All right! I'll be right down!"

Kagome smiled again and waited for Michelle to climb down. But to Kagome, Michelle was having a hard time to reach the branch under her foot. She was going to ask if she needed any help but someone came to talk to her.

"Kagome!" She turned around and saw Miroku. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for Michelle to get down!" Said Kagome.

Miroku looked up and realized the situation she was in. She was about to jump down on the branch. "She might slip again if she jumps on that branch!"

"Maybe...if you think so then do something-huh?" Miroku didn't listen to her. He went under the tree and dropped his staff on the ground. Miroku put his arms out with his eyes closed to get ready to catch her.

Michelle was still hanging from the branch. Her arms weren't wrapped on the tree branch. Her hands were hanging on to the branch. She was swinging her body to get ready to jump.

"All right! I only have one shot at this! If not, I'm dead!" Her hands let go and she fell on the branch that was under her. When she landed, her foot slipped again and she fell backwards. She kept hitting her head against the tree branches while she was falling. "Oof!" She thought she landed on the ground. But she felt hands on her back and under her knees. She opened her eyes and realized she was in Miroku's arms. She saw him smile in a weird way.

"Hi! How are you?" Asked Miroku.

"Uh...fine! And...you?" Answered Michelle with a question.

"Very fine!" He smiled...which was very cold. "Can I ask you something?"

"S-Sure!"

"Oh no! I should've warned her about him!" Said Kagome.

Miroku put her down and let her stand on her own two feet. He held both of her hands and looked at her seriously. "Michelle...will you bear my child?"

"Huh?" Her eyes form into two dots over the shock of the question. She didn't know what to say, but she did know she didn't want to bear his child. She thought of all kinds of ways to say something mean to hurt his feelings. But something interrupted her thoughts. She felt something touching her butt. She looked at the hand of who was doing that and realized it was only Miroku. She clenched her teeth which created a vein on her head.

Kagome was covering her eyes with her hands to block the action. She heard a loud slap from them. She put her hands down and saw Miroku unconscious on the ground. Michelle had her arms crossed with her eyes closed and was mumbling about something.

"He's a pervert! He's a pervert! HE'S A PERVERT!" Shouted Michelle.

"Heh-heh!" Laughed Kagome. She was behind Michelle and was laughing at her and Miroku. She went over and put both of her hands on Michelle's shoulders. Michelle turned around and looked at Kagome.

"What?"

"Let's leave before he regains conscious!" Kagome pushed Michelle to get away from Miroku as far away as possible. Michelle hated Miroku's action. That must be his inside, she hated that, his outside is okay, so she liked that! She'll deal with the outside better then the inside.

"How long is he going to be like that?" Asked Michelle.

"From being slapped by a woman? About 5 mins! He might forget about the slap and just move on to a different girl!" Answered Kagome. She continued to push her. Maybe to Kaede's house.

They were just finish eating. Kagome had some kimchi in her backpack and she shared it with everybody. The problem was, there was only one left now. Michelle went to grab it with her chopstick but someone else's chopsticks went for it too. When both of the chopsticks landed on the last kimchi, Michelle looked at the owner of the other chopstick. It was Inuyasha.

He made a look at her. Michelle was scared of that look but all she wanted was the last kimchi. She was about to say something mean to throw him off but he growled at her. Her chopstick was removed from the kimchi and Inuyasha took and put it in his mouth. Michelle watched him chew the last kimchi and looked at the fire in the middle of the room.

Michelle put her chopsticks down and stood up. Everybody looked at her with confusion except for Inuyasha. "I'm...going to go out for some fresh air!" Said Michelle. She walked out of the house while Kagome's eyes follow her.

Kagome put her finger on her chin to think of something. She needed to talk to her. She stood up too and was about to walk out of the house.

"Where are you going?" Asked Inuyasha. She turned around and faced him.

"Just to wash my face!" Answered Kagome.

"You better watch out...I don't trust that girl!" It didn't seem he was only talking to Kagome. His voice sounded like he was telling everybody in the room while Michelle was out of sight.

But she ignored him and walked out of the house. She saw Michelle by the river, splashing some water on her face. She was sitting in a Japanese way, looking at her reflection in the water. Then she continued to splash her face. Kagome walked up to her and sat next to her looking at the water too.

"I can't..." said Michelle. Kagome looked at her with a confused look. What was she talking about? "I can't go home! I'm just stuck here in a bloody hell of a place!"

"At least you have someone to guide you through the way home! And don't forget! I'm stuck here too. We BOTH can't go home. So you're going to have to come with us to look for the shards. We'll use the Shikon no Tama to go back home!" Said Kagome.

"Yeah...whatever!"

Kagome sighed and laughed. "You know! It's hard to believe we're friends right now. Because at school, we didn't even pay attention to each other. We only heard of each other. And now, ever since you came here we have noticed each other...a lot! We're becoming friends little by little. And I'm trying my best to be friends with you!"

"And I'm trying my best to be friends with everybody..."

"What?"

"Never mind..."

"Well, tonight you better get some sleep. We're going on a journey tomorrow and you need your rest because we're going to be walking a lot!"

"I'm sure it'll be great..."

Now Kagome was lost! What did this girl want? Besides on going home, maybe her life is not that exciting. She didn't know what to do. She stood up and looked at the sky. "You're not alone now...you have us to guide you through the journey." She looked down at Michelle. "You can trust us..." She turned around and walked away to Kaede's house. Michelle's eyes followed her and she turned her head back at the water.

Maybe she's right...she can trust them if she allows herself to. But she wasn't sure if they can guide her to home. But she's not the only one that's stuck there...Kagome is too. They both have a few things in common. They're both stuck, they didn't know how to use a bow and arrow when they first used it, and they both think Kirara is so cute! Ok, maybe not that for an example.

Suddenly, Michelle started to have tears in her eyes. The tears rolled down her cheeks when she closed her eyes. But she had no idea she was alone.

"Is something wrong?" Said a voice.

She turned her head and saw Shippo. She turned her head back to wipe away her tears so Shippo couldn't see. But the problem is Shippo did see the tears. He walked next to her and looked at her with those cute green eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Asked Shippo.

"Who said I was crying?" Said Michelle.

"Because I see dry tears on your cheeks. And besides, I saw your tears when you turned your head towards me."

Michelle splashed water on her face to get rid of the dry tears and looked at her reflection. "The thing is...it's the first time I have felt like this."

"Like what?"

"Not so lonely...where I come from, I don't have any friends so I couldn't trust anyone besides my family. But now I have to start trusting people because I'm stuck. All this time, I didn't want any friends because I knew they would turn against you. But now that I'm growing to be a woman, I need all the friends I can get...so, I'm glad to be friends with you guys."

"Really? Maybe you should tell that to all of us! Especially Inuyasha! He's a grouch! And a meany!"

Now the conversation turned to Inuyasha. She didn't want to think about him. But she was forced to. "Does...Inuyasha hate me?"

"Why?"

"He hasn't even talked to me! He only has said one word to me. 'Monster?' Is what he said."

"Well, he's always like that! He first turns out to hate you. And once he gets use to you, he'll start to like you as a friend."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure! He was like that with all of us! Besides..." he started to leave for the house and go to bed. "He can't hate you forever if you're going to travel with us."

He ran back to the house. Well, that's the first conversation she enjoyed with someone. She didn't practically enjoy a conversation with Kagome for some reason...who knows why! Maybe it's because Shippo is just a little kid and that he's so cute with the little bow and the fox tail!

Michelle was sitting at the corner at night still awake up with the blanket over her. She was mumbling to herself about tomorrow.

"I can't do it! I can't do it!" Said Michelle.

"Too bad...you're going to have to decide!" Said a voice.

The voice was coming right in across from her. It was Inuyasha with his sword Tetsusaiga in his hands.

"You either decide if we you stay here or let us help you!"

"But, what if I don't want to do both?" Asked Michelle.

"Then you might fall into hell by a demon! It's your choice!" He looked at her with those golden eyes. "If you stay here, that's giving you a bigger chance to get killed! If you come with us, you're just one step closer to go home and out of my sight for good! But that can also get you killed as well. I don't care which you pick, just make up your mind so I can forget about you!"

"Do you really have to talk like that?"

"Yes! It just shows how much I want you out of my sight! Woman!"

He closed his eyes to sleep. Well, that's another conversation she didn't like AT ALL. At least he talked to her. But the thing is if she goes, she would DEFINATLY not get along with Inuyasha. But who cares? He's only a half-breed!

Inuyasha and the others were waiting on the top of the hill for Kagome to come. Inuyasha got tired of waiting and was getting pissed. Everybody can tell Inuyasha hates Michelle. But they don't care what he thinks...maybe.

Finally, Kagome arrived at the hill. She looked back at the village and was worried.

"Come on! Let's go!" Commanded Inuyasha.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "But we have to wait for Michelle!" Said Kagome.

"How about not to wait for her? She probably doesn't even want to go anyway. Have you ever thought of that?"

Gasp! "You said something to her, didn't you! What did you say? ANSWER ME!"

"I said it was her choice if she wants to go or not! She either gets killed now or gets killed later!"

"And what did she say before that conversation started?"

"She kept saying 'I can't do it! I can't do it!' She's being a crybaby if you ask me!"

"I am asking you!"

"Hey guys! Don't you think we should get going?" Asked Miroku. They both looked at him with evil eyes to tell him to not to interfere in their argument. And now they continue to fight!

"I don't see why you don't like her!" Angered Kagome

"That's none of your business! Come on guys! Let's just go before Kagome starts going into tears!" Said Inuyasha.

"But-"

"No buts Kagome! Ever since that girl came here you've been ignoring us! You don't care about any of us because you're concentrated on that little crybaby girl!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is! You hardly even talk to us for even 5 min. but you talk to her for about 10 min! You didn't even let her get a chance to talk to any of us! Which means she's going to stay at Kaede's village and not come with us! END OF STORY!"

Inuyasha turned around and started to walk into the direction they're supposed to be heading. Kagome realized Inuyasha was right. She should've let Michelle talk with the others but not Inuyasha. ( I think it's a little too late for that!)

She looked back at the village again and sighed. She turned her head and started to follow them.

"Wait up!"

Kagome heard a voice. Suddenly she turned happy and turned around to see Michelle running to them. Her hand was waving to probably say good morning to them. Everybody else turned around and was very happy...except for Inuyasha. He just ignored her.

When Michelle arrived at the top of the hill, she had to take a break from running. When she could breathe, she stood up straight to look at all of them in the eye.

"Please! Take me with you! It may be dangerous and that I can get myself killed but I'm taking the risk!" Said Michelle.

"Good! But you have to remember something...don't complain to us when you're scared of going into battle!" Said Kagome.

"Don't worry, I won't!" They both smiled at each other. And then they looked at the others with the same smile. Inuyasha saw that and hated it from Michelle.

"Let's go!" Commanded Inuyasha. Then Miroku, Sango and Shippo smiled and started to walk to their destination. No one knows when they're going to complete the Shikon no Tama, but Inuyasha hopes it's soon to get rid of someone! And we all know who that is.

But Michelle doesn't care about that. As long as there is a way back home, she'll do anything to go home. Including letting Inuyasha hate her for the rest of the journey.

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	3. Chapter 3

_A Journey in a Different Time  
-Chapter 3-  
Going into Battle  
_  
"So, did you manage to get the shard?" Asked Naraku. He was talking to Kagura at his fortress. Inside the little room where Naraku always sit.

"No, but I think something is not right here," answered Kagura.

He turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"When I arrived to retrieve the shard and the girl, they were prepared to face me...it was like they were waiting for me to come. I think that girl told them I was coming."

"I don't think a human can see the future! Maybe she has the ability to sense danger coming...feeling negative energy triggers the waves in her body which makes her sense danger is coming." He looked at Kanna who was standing next to Kagura. Kanna showed an image in her mirror. The image was Inuyasha and the others relaxing, having a picnic.

Kagome and Sango are trying to let Michelle to do target practice. The image turned to Michelle trying to shoot the arrow at the tree.

"This girl is different from Kagome...but I'm still more worried about Kagome canceling my powers and get rid of my body again." He looked at his hand. "But I want my shard back from that new girl. Kagura...make sure you steal the shard from that girl. If you can't...bring her here and I'll kill her!"

"...I will! Kanna...come with me!" Said Kagura. They both left the room and left Naraku alone. When Naraku knew they were gone he laughed.

"Maybe I should kill both of them..."

Inuyasha was sitting on the picnic blanket with Miroku. They were in the meadow field. Miroku had his legs cross, one elbow on his knee so he can rest his chin on his hand. Inuyasha was just sitting with his arms crossed with his eyes closed.

Miroku was watching Sango trying to get Michelle to hit the right target with the arrow. He keeps thinking Michelle is a bad aimer...maybe she really is?

Then his mind turned to Sango...he keeps thinking on how beautiful she is. ( What a pervert!) Now, he was thinking on some plans to lure Sango in bed...maybe not. So he decided to talk to Inuyasha since he was getting too bored.

"What are you doing?" Asked Miroku.

"Resting my eyes," answered Inuyasha.

"Looks like you're sleeping to me!"

"Well I'm not!"

"Oooo! I don't like that tone in your voice. That reminds..."

"What?"

"Uh, nothing!"

"He better not mention that girl's name!"

"So, are you thinking about anything?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking about something!"

"Like what?"

"It's none of your business!"

"Come on! You can tell me!"

"I don't think so. You're a monk so I'm not telling you anything!"

"What's wrong with me being a monk?"

"I just know you'll tell someone!"

"Ok! Time to change the subject! How come you haven't even said ONE sentence to Michelle? We have to be nice no matter what!"

"He said THAT NAME! That's none of your business either!"

"So you hate her?"

"Look! You either stop asking or I'll claw you!"

"Ok, ok! I get the message!"

Kagome and Sango were trying to make Michelle aim at the tree. But she keeps missing and aiming at the grass. Shippo wanted to laugh at her but that'll just make her mad at him. Kagome keeps reviewing to her how to use the bow and how to aim. The problem was Michelle kept having one eye open. She needed to have both eyes open so she can see and aim a little better.

"Try again! You almost got it!" Said Kagome.

"Yeah! You just need to concentrate!" Said Sango.

"But, it's a lot of pressure!" Complained Michelle.

"How is it giving you a lot of pressure?" Asked Kagome.

"You want to know how? YOU guys are pressuring me!" They both gave her a confused look. They didn't know they were pressuring her. They looked at Shippo and he nodded at them. So that means Michelle was right.

"We're sorry! We're just preparing you for your first battle when a-" Sango started out but Michelle cut her off.

"What? I have to ACTUALLY fight?" Asked Michelle.

"Yeah, I thought you knew," said Kagome.

"I did but I thought you guys were joking about me fighting!"

Shippo jumped on Michelle's shoulder to pat her head. "Nope! You have to fight!" Said Shippo.

Michelle had blue in her face like she was going to barf somewhere. She needed something to get this battle thing out of her mind. Suddenly, her mind turns to Inuyasha and Kagome. She looked at Inuyasha, whose arms were crossed and his eyes were closed. Then she looked at Kagome, who was talking to Sango about something. Probably with her aiming.

Then she thought of what happened yesterday with Kagome and Inuyasha. They were fighting about some woman name Kikyo, Michelle wondered who that was. But then she started to think on Kagome's arrow. She turned her head to Kagome.

"Kagome, can you shoot the arrow again?" Asked Michelle.

"Um, sure! But, why?" Answered Kagome with a question.

"I just want to see how you shoot the arrow." She handed the bow and arrow to Kagome. Kagome looked at her bow and arrow and then at Michelle. To her, Michelle had a serious look on her face.

"Okay! If you need to see then I'll do it!" Kagome prepared her bow and arrow and was aiming at the tree. She shot the arrow and Michelle saw it again. The pink glow around the arrow. The arrow hit the tree and Kagome turned around to face Michelle. "See? You have to clear your mind and concentrate on your target so you can get a perfect shot."

"Right, but...can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"There was a pink glow around the arrow, how did you do that? That happened yesterday when you shot your arrow at Inuyasha!"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT ME!" Commanded Inuyasha.

Everybody looked at Inuyasha, his tone was too rough and it seemed like he was angry at Michelle. But then they ignored him.

"What's his problem?" Asked Michelle.

"I don't know he's never like this!" Answered Sango.

"I THOUGHT I SAID DON'T TALK ABOUT ME!" Shouted Inuyasha.

"Anyway, how did you do it?" Asked Michelle.

"Well, that was the miko powers I put in the arrow," answered Kagome.

"Are you even a miko or are you training to become a miko?"

"Neither, I...let's just say I was born with these miko powers!"

"Come on! You have to tell her!" Said Sango.

"Fine! The truth is...I'm the reincarnation of Kikyo," said Kagome.

"That's my other question, who is Kikyo? I heard you guys talk about her and I'm wondering who she is," questioned Michelle.

Everyone became silent. Everyone except Michelle knew the history of Kagome, Kikyo and Inuyasha. They never thought they would have to explain it to Michelle. Even if they didn't, Michelle would probably run in to Kikyo and maybe later to start asking some questions about her and who she is.

After a few minutes, no one has said anything yet. Inuyasha was just trying to ignore the question in his head. He didn't want to think about Kikyo. One of the reason's he hates Michelle is that she's so nosy. Actually, he hated everything about her, but no one knows how much he hates her.

Michelle was getting tired of the silence around, she was so tired she forgot what she was feeling something inside of her body...danger is coming again. But she forgot...

It wasn't right to any of them. Kagome was about to break the silence but something interrupted them. The ground was trembling...an earthquake? Michelle was terrified. Kagome was wondering why Michelle didn't say anything.

"Michelle...prepare for the next fight!" Said Kagome.

"What do you mean?" Asked Michelle.

"You'll see, once the fight has started, you're going to be helping!"

"WHAT?"

"SHUT UP! THE DEMON IS HERE!" Shouted Inuyasha. ( Don't worry! Later in the story something worse is going to happen to Inuyasha and Michelle! They won't fall in love or anything like that! Let's just say things are going to get a little rough between those two.)

The ground started to crack and crumbled into more little rocks. Something came out...a huge spider demon, like a tarantula. It looked like it's ready to bite anyone. To give the venom to someone.

Michelle was squeaking to death, being an afraid of the huge, horrifying demon. Also afraid to get venom in her body. She hid herself behind Kagome so the demon won't see her. Kagome pulled Michelle's arm to her side so she can fight too. But she was scared to death, and she was squeaking more. Inuyasha ignored her and concentrated on the demon.

"All right Michelle! Get your bow and arrow ready!" Said Kagome.

"Ah...Kagome?" Said Michelle slowly.

"What?"

"I don't have a bow!"

"What? Oh yeah, that's right! I forgot to get one while we were in Kaede's village. I should've remembered it!" She was thinking fast on this. "I know! Shippo, you're going to have to transform into a bow!"

"Okay!" Said Shippo.

"Not now! When we really need it!"

"Keh! Like we need her!" Said Inuyasha. Inuyasha grabbed the handle of Tetsusaiga and put a grip on it, when he took it out, it transformed to its true form. He started to run to the spider demon to get ready to attack. Sango ran along with him, and with her boomerang in her hands.

"Okay Shippo! Now you can turn into a bow!" Said Kagome.

"Coming right up!" Shippo grabbed a leaf out of his kimono and put it on his head. He turned into a ball of smoke, when it faded Shippo was a nice perfectly good shape bow.

"Hey! How come you didn't do that to me when I asked you the first time?" Angered Kagome.

"Sorry! I was practicing on my transformation!" Said Shippo.

Michelle bends down to grab the handle of the bow. She stood back up again and kept looking at the bow. She wasn't ready to fight...She was about to say something to Kagome but she was already shooting her arrows at the tarantula. She needed to help them but she was afraid too. But she had no other choice.

She put her arrow on her thumb and aimed it at the tarantula. Her arms were trembling, she couldn't let go.

"You know, my transformation doesn't last long. So I would suggest for you shoot it already!" Said Shippo.

"Oh! Sorry about that!" Said Michelle. She finally shot her arrow at the tarantula, but the problem was it fell off. ( You how when Kagome shot her arrow the first time, like that!) Michelle hasn't learned to shoot arrows far distance yet.

Inuyasha saw that and it distracted him. He stopped and looked behind him at Michelle. Anger ran through him when he saw her. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? YOU NEED TO AIM AT THE DEMON! NOT THE GROUND, BAKA!" Shouted Inuyasha.

Michelle ignored him and grabbed another arrow. She ran to the demon, up to where Inuyasha is which is really too close if you ask me! Michelle aimed her arrow at it again and shot it. It hit the eye of it and it was squeaking very loud.

Everybody was concentrated on the demon; they didn't know what was going on.

Michelle felt something crawling on her leg and it was climbing on her back. She didn't know what it was and she tried to shake it off. She felt it come to her neck, and she felt a pinch. Something bit her, but she didn't feel weakened, she was paralyzed. She couldn't move she needed to move. A little spider bit her.

The little spider jumped off of her and headed to the tarantula. She needed to escape.

"Michelle! What happened?" Asked Sango.

"I don't know! I think I'm paralyzed!" Answered Michelle.

"This isn't good! If the demon bites her, she'll be poisoned! Inuyasha is going to get pissed if I don't do something!" Said Kagome. "Miroku! Try to to get her out of there!"

"Right!" Said Miroku. He started to run to Michelle, but the tarantula's leg went to his stomach and pushed him out of sight. He fell on the ground and landed on his stomach. He went on to his knees, one hand on the ground and one hand around his stomach to make sure he was breathing.

Then, the tarantula turned its head to Michelle. It looked like it was mad at her for attacking it in the eye. It got its fangs ready and it leaned in to bite her right neck. Michelle screamed out in pain and she was able to move again. When the tarantula removed it's fangs from her neck, she only made one movement. She fell backwards to the ground and landed on her back. Dust flew away when she landed.

"I knew she would be a disadvantage to us!" Said Inuyasha. Inuyasha lift up his sword to do his attack. "KAZE NO KIZO!" He bangs Tetsusaiga on to the ground, and yellow streams of light came out of Tetsusaiga and it was heading towards the tarantula and the little spider. ( It's kind of hard to explain that yellow thing!)

The tarantula and the little spider were destroyed into many pieces. The carcass of the demons were all over the ground.

Inuyasha put Tetsusaiga back into the scabbard and turned to everybody. But everybody was around Michelle who was lying on the ground. He got pissed but he walked over to them anyway.

Kagome put her arm around Michelle's back to lift her up a little above ground. Michelle's hands were resting on the ground and the marks the tarantula made were starting to bleed a little. Michelle looked at Kagome but turned her head away from her.

"Well, first battle and I'm already down..." said Michelle. She looked at Kirara with a smile. Thinking on how cute Kirara is.

"So what? Who cares if you're down!" Said Inuyasha.

Michelle ignored him but Kagome gave him an angry look. She removed her eyes away from Inuyasha and looked back at Michelle.

"Don't worry, we can go to Jinenji to get some herbs to cure the poison in your body," said Kagome. Michelle turned her head away from Kirara and looked at Kagome.

"Who's Jinenji?" Asked Michelle.

"He's a half-demon that lives in an herb farm. He help cured Kirara with the herbs," explained Sango. "I'm sure he'll be able to cure you!"

"That's fine with me..." Michelle tried to get up but Kagome held her tightly so she won't move. "I need to walk..."

"You can't walk! You'll only spread more poison in your body if you move. You're going to have to ride on Inuyasha's back!" Said Kagome.

"I don't want to..."

"I agree!" Said Inuyasha.

"Fine, you can ride with Sango." Said Kagome.

Miroku picked Michelle up and waited for Kirara to transform. Sango went on Kirara's back as soon as Kirara transformed. Michelle saw that and was afraid once again.

"Um, I change my mind!" Said Michelle.

"Too late! You ride with Sango."

Miroku put Michelle behind Sango. She was weak so she couldn't move much. She felt Sango's hands grab her wrists to put around her waist.

"You might fall if you don't hang on to me!" Said Sango. She gave Michelle a warm smile, she smiled back.

Kagome went on Inuyasha's back and went on ahead of them. Miroku ran after him since he couldn't fit on Kirara's back. Then Kirara followed them to get some herbs from Jinenji...and to get Michelle back in the battle.

But the thing was she didn't want to...because of the way what happened. She's the weakness of the team. The only weakness.


	4. Chapter 4

_A Journey in a Different Time  
-Chapter 4-  
Trying to be Friends_

Mrs. Bitting was worried that Michelle got kidnapped! It's already been a whole day and she wasn't home. Did she run away? Did she get rape? Did she elope? So many questions were going on in her head, she had to know what was going on. She picked up the phone and dialed Mrs. Higurashi's number.

Mrs. Bitting waited until she heard a voice at the other end of the line...

"Hello?" Said the voice at the other end.

"Mrs. Higurashi? Do you know where Michelle is? I'm really worried about her, it's been a day since she has left!" Said Mrs. Bitting.

"Well, she DID come here yesterday. My father told me she did come. But he sent her to the well house..." said Mrs. Higurashi.

"What about the well house? Is there something I should know?"

"Since I did say something about the well house, I should tell you about it." Mrs. Higurashi told Mrs. Bitting about the well and how Kagome time travels through to the other side. Mrs. Higurashi predicted Michelle must have fallen into the well and has time traveled and is with Kagome. "So I think they're probably stuck there. Some things close for awhile or forever so you never know when they're going to come back. Maybe in months..."

"M-months?" Mrs. Bitting was speechless. She couldn't believe what she just heard. Staying in Feudal Japan Era for MONTHS? She couldn't survive for even a day in that time period. That's what she knows.

"Mrs. Bitting? Are you still there?"

"Yes...I'm still here. Thank you for telling me...If you hear she's back, call me right away so I can make her a delicious dinner when she comes home. Her favorite...pork, and rice!"

"I understand!"

They both hanged up at the same time. Mrs. Bitting put her hands together to pray to the Lord.

"O Lord, please watch over my daughter in that era...make sure she comes back home alive."

Michelle, Shippo and Sango were inside a little hut they once used before when Kirara had toxins in her system. Shippo was getting some water from a stream not too far from there. Sango just put a cloth over Michelle's forehead to get rid of the sweat she was having.

"Sango..." said Michelle.

"Hm?"

"What was it like? To be all alone in the world I mean?"

"What do you mean?"

"Kagome told me about what happened before they met you. It was like you were all alone in the world. And you wanted revenge so you let Kagome and the others to guide you to the end."

Sango looked away from her. Why did she have to bring it up? And why did Kagome have to tell her? Well, there was no choice after all. Michelle had to know what is going on and why she is traveling with them. But Sango was glad that no one has told her about Kikyo yet.

"I felt lost...in the world with no one with me to share my pain. I had lost my whole village and family...well almost my whole family. Kohaku is still alive but he doesn't remember because of Naraku. It's like Kohaku has been reborn with no memory of me at all."

"Did you have any friends before your village was attacked?"

"Well, lots of people respect me...actually, I had to train to become a Demon Slayer so there was no time to have friends. Speaking of friends, what about her? What about you? Did you have any friends in your world?"

"None...everybody treated me different. So I act tough so people can stay away from me."

"Why do you want to stay away from people?"

"Because...no matter what! Either good or bad people can still hurt you! No matter if they're your friends or not. They can still hurt you in a horrible way you can't imagine. So I decided for me not to have friends so I won't be hurt!"

"But does it really matter? You still get hurt for not having friends...that causes more pain to you then having friends."

Michelle didn't realize that. It's true, she has been hurt even without friends. She didn't know what to stay. She suddenly got angry at the world.

"You don't know what I have been through!" Shouted Michelle. Sango flinched, she was first sad and painful, now she turned to an angry Michelle. "My parents tried everything to let me have friends! My dad forced me into self-defense class so I can make friends in that class!"

"Hey! What did-"

"Then my mom forced me to train to become a miko so I can help the people in need so I can make friends by helping them! I have tried so hard to make friends in my world but all I got was a beating from the people from my school! There was only way for me not to get beat up like that! IT IS TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT!"

"WHAT DID I DO TO MAKE YOU ANGRY?"

"THEN I HAD TO FORCE MYSELF TO BE ON A VOLLEYBALL TEAM TO MAKE FRIENDS! AND THAT DIDN'T WORK EITHER, EVEN THOUGH I WAS THE TEAM CAPTAIN! YOU SEE? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH! EVERYBODY HATED ME FOR WHAT I LOOK ON THE OUTSIDE!"

"You don't have to yell!"

"They hated when I tried my best to do things, they only trash talk me! Especially men! THAT'S WHY I HAVE BEEN AFRAID OF PEOPLE! I GET HURT BY THEM AND I'M AFRAID OF THEM!"

Michelle started to cough from yelling so much. Sango sat next to her to make sure she was okay. She grabbed a water bottle from Kagome's backpack and gave it to her. Michelle drank some of it and gave it back to Sango.

"Calm down! You're not in that place anymore! This place is much more different from your world. At this place, it's easy to make friends."

"That doesn't change anything!"

"Well, tell me who are you afraid of the most."

"That's easy to name...Inuyasha! He's one of those people. I can tell he hated me from the day we met! But I don't think I can be friends with that MONK! And...I don't think I can be friends with Kagome."

"Why not with Kagome?"

"I can tell it's going to take a long time to be friends with her. I'm trying my best but Inuyasha always talks to Kagome about me! But I know one thing! I can be friends with Shippo because he's harmless and he's so cute with the hair, the bow and the green eyes!"

Sango laughed. She was first angry and now she's happy by thinking about Shippo. "Well, how about me? I can be your friend..."

"I'll accept you! Well, that's two I have now!"

"Why can't you just kill those villagers when you had the chance, Jinenji?" Asked Inuyasha. He and Kagome were standing outside of Jinenji's house. Jinenji was standing next to his mom. "Didn't you say they were stealing your herbs without paying either?"

"Not really, they come back with the money. And they're not even bullying him either!" Said Jinenji's mom.

"I don't care! All I want to know is why he didn't kill those villagers that attacked him before?"

"INU...YASHA! OSUWARI!" Commanded Kagome. The prayer beads around his neck forced him to hit the ground flat on his face. But Kagome wasn't done yet. "OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

His face is bruised now! Kagome was tired of him being so rude. She first stared at Inuyasha, whose face was still in the ground. Then she turned her head back to Jinenji and his mother.

"Sorry about that! He is rude after all!" Said Kagome.

"Okay...um, here are the herbs you needed," said Jinenji. He handed her the herbs with his big hand. Kagome took it out of his hand and bowed to him. She also gave him a warm smile.

"All right!" Said Inuyasha. He got up angrily with his arms crossed over his chest. "Let's go!" She nodded to him and he went on ahead.

"I'll see you later, Jinenji. Sorry it was a short visit, but next time I'll stay longer. To help you guys with the farm." Said Kagome.

"I...understand." Said Jinenji.

Kagome left with a smile on her face. She ran to Inuyasha to catch up with him...also to give him a lecture on not to be so rude when he's talking to people. She also told him the consequences.

"You can also get beat up from being so rude to people!" Said Kagome.

"Okay, okay! I get it! You don't have to keep telling me!" Angered Inuyasha.

"I HAVE to! And you want to know why? Because you keep forgetting! Do you want me to keep lecturing you about you being so rude? You don't want to keep hearing it all over again, do you?"

"I don't! I don't want to her anything like that out of you mouth ever again!"

That clenched her fists. Inuyasha looked back at her and realized she was clenching her fists. He knew she is going to tell him to sit! So he ran away from her before she even said it. When he was gone, Kagome realized he was gone.

"HEY! AREN'T YOU FORGETTING SOMETHING? YOU FORGOT MEEEEEEEEEE! YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO GIVE ME A RIDE BACK BECAUSE I GOT THE HERB! BAKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Shouted Kagome.

When Inuyasha was sure he was far away from Kagome as possible, he stopped to catch his breath. He looked back at the direction Kagome is in.

"I'll get her back once she has calmed down!" He smiled and that turned into a laugh. He enjoyed the moment when he ran away from her. But he knew it'll only make her madder. And that'll cause her to say sit! So he just ran back to where Kagome was.

He was right...Kagome did say sit when he got there. After that, she gave him another lecture on not to leave a friend behind because the demons can find them and kill them. He tried to ignore her on the way to the little hut. But he was glad about one thing...they didn't talk about her...the new girl.

"Shippo...what are you doing?" Asked Miroku. He was sitting by Shippo, at the stream. Shippo was trying to boil the water with his Kitsunebi. ( In case you're wondering, it means Fox Fire!) Shippo had the bucket on the ground and was waiting for the water to boil.

"I'm just betting Michelle might need hot boiling water!" Answered Shippo.

"It reminds me of a hot spring!"

"Me too!"

"Who do you imagine in it? I can imagine Sango and me in there..."

"Whatever! I would much rather everybody to be in the hot spring. Because my family always take a bath together."

"But that's family, it's different when you're not related to anyone."

"How is it different? What is going to happen if you take a bath with someone not related to you?"

"Something that you shouldn't know at your age. Only when you grow up..."

"Aw, man!"

Miroku smiled at him. Then he continued to watch him to try and boil the water. But then he thought about Michelle...she's still new here and he needs to explain little more things about why he does this stuff.

He closed his eyes and stood up to walk back to the hut. Shippo saw him leaving and figured he would send Sango to keep an eye on him. So he continue to try and boil the water.

Miroku kept walking and thought about how he should start it out. Why is he after Naraku or why he touches girl's butts...where he should start? Maybe why he's after Naraku.

When he finally got to the hut, he walked in and saw Sango and Michelle laughing together. He waited for them to stop so they can notice him. It's a good thing Sango notice him before Michelle even did.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Said Sango. She got up and looked down at Michelle. "I have to give Kirara some exercise. I'll be right back!"

"Sango? Do you have to leave me with him?" Asked Michelle.

"Sorry! But I have to!" She walked towards the door where Miroku is. She whispered to him as soon as she was by his side. "(Make friends with her!)" And then she walked outside with Kirara on her shoulder and left Miroku with Michelle. Miroku watched Sango leave until she was out of sight, out of mind.

He turned his head to Michelle and was confused on what she was doing. Her two index fingers formed a cross to give him a warning.

"Don't even think about doing anything stupid! I still have the venom in my body! So don't try to get an advantage to me just because I'm weak and tired!" Said Michelle with fire in her eyes.

"I understand! I PROMISE I won't do anything stupid!" He walked over to where she's sitting. He sat by her and gave her a warm smile. Michelle put her index fingers down and relax for little bit. "I was just wondering if we can be friends...can we?"

"I don't know...it depends!"

"What do you mean?"

"It depends if you keep being a pervert to me...If you do keep being a pervert to me, I WON'T and CAN'T be your friend!"

"I think I get that. I'm sure that won't happen. Because I like Sango better then anyone else!"

"You like Sango better but you still touched my butt?"

"Yeah! I do that to all the pretty girls and then I ask them to bear my child! Wasn't I supposed to tell her about Naraku first?"

"Why to bear a child for you?"

"Actually, to bear my son! So my son can continue on to pursue Naraku if I fail one day."

"Why?"

"Because of my right hand...Naraku put a curse on my family. It started with my grandfather...every son will have a hole in the right hand...Kazaana!"

"So that's why the prayer beads are on your right arm! And...who's Naraku?"

"He's-"

"Michelle!" Miroku stopped and looked at the person who was at the doorway...Kagome. She has the herbs in her hand and she rushed to Michelle as soon as he saw her. "Ok! Take this! Miroku! Inuyasha is outside, maybe you should talk to him about his anger!"

"Ok!" Said Miroku. He stood up and walked out of the hut and saw Inuyasha leaning against the wall next to the door with his arms crossed. His back on the wall with his eyes closed being pissed as always. "A bad visit?"

"No...I just kept getting sat after we got the herbs in our hands," said Inuyasha.

"You must've been a very bad inu!"

"No, she just gave me a lecture on not to be SO rude!"

"Yeah...you were being bad!"

"SHUT UP!"

Now it was silent...Inuyasha wanted it to be that way. He NEEDS to cool his anger down. And some silence might do the trick. But his anger went up when someone mentioned someone's name.

Sango and Shippo arrived with a bucket of water. Maybe he failed on boiling the water. Probably it took too much time. They stopped as soon as they saw Miroku and Inuyasha standing outside of the hut.

"Well, how's Michelle doing?" Asked Shippo with the bucket of water in his hands.

Inuyasha's dog ears moved, making that cute little sound. His anger rose to the chart when Shippo mentioned that name! He started to clench his teeth to show his hatred towards her.

Sango and the others saw what he was doing. But Miroku answered Shippo's question, not to get Inuyasha angry, just to answer Shippo's question.

"Kagome is giving Michelle the herbs right now. I'm sure she'll be fine, Shippo," said Miroku.

"That's good, because I really like her!"

"You mean some sort of crush on her?"

"Maybe...maybe not! She's nice like Kagome and-"

"She's a crybaby!" Shouted Inuyasha. Everybody looked at him, he had his eyes opened but it was showing a mean expression. He was still clenching his teeth to show more of his anger.

"Actually, I was thinking Michelle like a soft person, a person who hardly gets mad but just cries when she's feeling lonely," said Shippo.

"Actually, when you guys were out, she was yelling out her anger to me. She kept saying on how the world has beaten her when she tried her best to make friends. She actually tried to become a miko," said Sango.

"She was training to become a miko...what else?" Questioned Miroku.

"She actually has been beat up by some guys at her world. She may be weak on the outside, but I have a feeling that when she gets angry she becomes stronger. She's actually strong on the inside..."

"Yeah right! She probably can't even lay a punch at me...she's too soft and she's a crybaby!" Said Inuyasha.

"How would you know? You haven't even had a nice conversation with her. Why don't you talk with her so you won't have to hate her all the time!" Said Sango.

"NO WAY!"

"Ok! While the herbs are taking effect, maybe you can try to be a little calmer. Before I actually got here, Sango told me you were really angry," said Kagome. She was sitting next to Michelle trying to become friends with her. Michelle was resting with her back leaning against the wall.

"Did you know?" Asked Michelle.

"Know what?"

"The soul is more important then the body...It's like the body is a strong barrier trying to protect the soul. But the truth is, the body is not strong enough...your body doesn't get hurt, your soul does..."

"You actually believe that?"

"No...I know it! My soul was broken before I came here...it couldn't heal up. But my body did, but my soul didn't. I told Sango a couple of teenage guys from high school beat me up because of the middle school guys. The middle school guys paid the high school guys to beat me up...after that happened, I survived. My body was healed from the injuries...but my soul didn't heal."

"A broken soul..."

"The soul only breaks into pieces once everybody has beaten you up...That's what I learned."

"Michelle...so the body is like just a weak barrier?"

"Kind of...that's why you yourself have to protect your body, and your soul. Only your strength and strong defense can do that. But I lowered my defense when I had no hope of making friends..."

"Now I understand...other reason you wanted to travel with us is to make friends...but with whom?"

"Anybody who I come across..."

"You may hate this world, but I love it! But there is one thing I hate about it."

"What is that?"

"Bloodshed...and deaths...there's lots of that here..."

Michelle didn't know what she was talking about. Is there really bloodshed and deaths here? She hasn't seen any yet, she only felt pain from her first battle. Michelle put her hand on the bit marks where the tarantula put on her. It was covered in a bandage so she couldn't touch the holes.

She only knows one thing about this place. It has lots of pain and lots of battles. And she wanted to make sure she doesn't die from any of the battles and she doesn't want her soul to die here and now.


	5. Chapter 5

_A Journey in a Different Time  
-Chapter 5-  
Meeting the Demon Koga?_

Since the venom in her body was all gone, Michelle has been happy and free as a butterfly. She still had her hair in a ponytail, but now she's thinking on putting it down. Not right now...she's not done on enjoying the moment.

She was running on ahead happy as ever to be free. Everybody followed her. Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippo were smiling at her but Inuyasha ignores her completely. ( Man! He must really hate her!)

Michelle ran to a nice green hill and stopped at the top to see the view. The wind was blowing in her hair but she didn't feel any movement in her hair. So she took the scrunchy out of her hair and put the scrunchy back on around her right wrist. Now she felt her hair moving along with the wind. It felt so good to feel so much wind...

Kagome caught up to her and stood right next to her. Her arms were behind her and she was smiling. She turned her head to Michelle who was smiling as well.

"Feel better?" Asked Kagome.

"Better then ever!" Answered Michelle. "Maybe I want to practice on shooting the arrows...It would be better to do that!"

"I agree! You need to aim better!"

Michelle smiled at her. But all she wants to know is how she can put the pink glow around the arrow like Kagome. She did saw it was because of the miko powers but Kagome is not a miko, is she? Michelle has been training to become a miko for a year now, she trained everyday to make sure she has reached her limit.

But the thought of becoming a miko made her think about her family. She's only been there for ONE day. And her mom doesn't even know where she is! So she asked Kagome.

"Kagome? This just came to thought, my mom doesn't know where I am! She might think I have been kidnapped or something! She's going to freak out and call the police if she doesn't know where I am!"

"Relax! My mom probably told her already when they both noticed you were gone!"

"You mean your mom actually lets you come here?"

"Yup!"

"No wonder you hardly come to school...I have heard that you had all sorts of diseases! But it was actually this!"

"Yeah but it has to be a secret! Once we go home, you can't tell anyone!"

"I won't! I can see why this place has to be secret...they won't be able to survive in a place like this!" They both laughed when they imagine the other people being here. They would just get killed in an instant!

Sango was trying to ignore Miroku most of the time because of her having a crush on him. Miroku just stared at Kagome and Michelle and that made Sango jealous. ( A little warning to guys...watch out if your girlfriend is ever jealous...they can make a rampage!)

Shippo really likes Michelle as much as he likes Kagome. They both are like...the same. Nice, wearing the same clothes, almost the same hair but Kagome's hair is more out and longer, while Michelle's has short hair and is not really out. ( If you all know what I mean.)

Kagome...she was thinking that if she should take the food out of her backpack again for dinner. She hardly has any food from her world and she can't go back to get more. So maybe she should skip her food and eat the food here. But what kind...Wait! She feels a presence of a jewel shard coming. Oh no...it can't be!

"Ah guys? I sense a jewel shard coming this way," said Kagome.

That got Inuyasha off the chart. He ran to her with a hated look on his face. "You don't mean it's HIM?" Asked Inuyasha.

"Yeah, it's him again!"

Michelle looked at them and didn't know what they were talking about. Inuyasha saw Michelle looking at them and gave her a look. A don't-look-at- us-and-don't-ask-what-we're-talking-about look! That scared Michelle and she looked at the sky and then back at Sango, Miroku and Shippo.

She saw a gust of wind coming from behind them and it was heading towards her, Kagome and Inuyasha. Before she knew it, the gust of wind disappeared and what came to be the gust of wind was a guy with black hair, with a tail like a wolf? That wasn't right to her at all!

He held Kagome's hands in his.

"Kagome! I'm so happy to see you again!" Said the guy.

"Why are you here, Koga?" Asked Kagome.

"What else? To take you with me for you to get away from that mutt!"

"Koga!" He looked down and realized he was standing on Inuyasha's head once again. Inuyasha was on his hands and knees, waiting for Koga to get off as soon as possible. "Can you...GET OFF?" Inuyasha used his claws to get rid of Koga, but he jumped off of his head before Inuyasha land his attack on him.

"His name is Koga? He's...weird!" Said Michelle. She was waiting for the guy to notice her so he can question her too. That's what people do these days, they question people.

Koga turned his attention to Michelle. She flinched when she saw his face. She noticed his ears...she knew he was demon. But the thing was she wasn't use to demons yet.

"Kagome...who is that girl?" Asked Koga.

"Her name is Michelle, she's traveling with us to look for the shards," answered Kagome, she gave Michelle a smile to tell her to calm down, Koga won't hurt her.

Koga walked up to Michelle to get a good look at her. He leaned forward to get even a better look at her. But she leaned back whenever he leaned over to her. He sniffed her...what is she? A twin sister to Kagome? She almost looks like her but different.

"Uh..." was all Michelle could say to Koga.

"Well, I can tell you're not my enemy at least!" Said Koga. He stood straight, so did Michelle. "Well?"

"Huh?"

"Aren't going to say anything?"

"Not...really."

"You just did. Kagome, can I talk to you in private?"

"There's no way you're going to do that, Koga!" Angered Inuyasha.

"Relax..." Koga pushed Kagome to go behind a tree. His hands was on her shoulders just to push her. When they were behind the tree, he moved her to make her face him. "Maybe it's a bad idea to hang around that girl."

"Why would you say that?" Asked Kagome.

"Something is not right about her. If she doesn't talk much then you shouldn't be hanging around with her. She could be planning something to ditch you guys."

"What do you mean?"

"I just smell demon blood on her, that's all!"

"Demon blood? Hmm...Kagura did mention Naraku sending a demon to follow me to find someone who was like me. That demon was supposed to have a Shikon jewel shard. Maybe she somehow killed the demon in her sleep or something."

"Maybe the demon was commanded to kill itself!"

"Maybe when we find a hot spring, the blood smell will wash away."

"Hopefully...but just take my advice...watch out for her. She could be planning on turning against you all."

He took her hand and pulled her back to the others. Inuyasha growled at him when he saw he was holding Kagome's hand and when he walked passed by him. It's like Kagome wants to get back at him for being so rude ever since someone came and interfere with their journey.

Koga left Kagome by Sango and was left with a confused look. Kagome's eyes followed Koga, who was walking to Michelle. He grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her to the same place he dragged Kagome to. After when they were completely behind the tree, Koga pushed her against the tree. Probably to show off a little anger.

"Ouch! That hurt!" Said Michelle.

"I don't care! I'm just worried about you!" Said Kouga.

"What?"

"Not that kind of worried about you, I'm worried you might hurt Kagome!"

"So you're saying you're actually more worried about her! I'm not going to do anything! I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Once you get use to it, you'll understand!"

"Shut up!"

"You can't tell me to shut up!"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up!"

Koga was getting angry, so he grabbed her arm hard and dig his nails in her arm. "I'm kind of getting angry right now! Why are you getting pissed by me?"

"That part is none of your business! So let go, wolf-boy!"

"Don't call me wolf-boy!"

"Then let go demon boy!"

Koga growled and just threw her to the ground. He was really pissed at her. Michelle didn't want to get up from the ground. She didn't want to see his face...didn't want to see how angry this demon is.

Koga put his hand on her shoulder and twirl her around so she can face him. Now her back was facing the ground and her face is facing Koga.

"You're...stubborn! You know that? I'm getting sick and tired of you!"

"I don't care! You're the one who tries to beat up someone you haven't even got to know yet!"

"What was Koga talking about, Kagome?" Asked Sango. Kirara was on her shoulder and Sango...she just wanted to know what was going on. "Did he do something romantic or something like that?"

"No..." answered Kagome.

"Then why did he want to talk to you?" Asked Miroku.

"He keeps telling me to stay FAR AWAY from Inuyasha! He's doing that a lot these days-"

Kagome was cut off by the two people that were...fighting? Somehow, they all heard punches and some kicks from Koga and Michelle but they couldn't see them actually fighting and it didn't sound good. Kagome thought she heard Koga shouting out something: "MAN YOU'RE SUCH A PAIN-IN-THE-BUTT! AND WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

Then they heard Michelle's voice. "EXCUSE ME! YOU ASK WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WITH THE WIERD EARS! WOLF- BOY!"

"STOP CALLING ME WOLF-BOY!"

"WHY? YOU'RE A WOLF ANYWAY, WOLF-BOY!"

"HOW CAN YOU TELL I'M A WOLF!"

"BECAUSE OF YOUR TAIL BAKA!"

Man things are getting pretty rough with those two. ( Wait until you read what happens later in the next couple of chapters.)

After they heard the punching and kicking stopped, they waited for Koga and Michelle to come out of the bushes. They were scared of them now...especially Koga.

Then they heard some rustling in the bushes. Maybe one of them is coming out of the bushes. They saw Michelle came out first but they were shocked on what happened to her. There was some cuts on her legs and she was limping.. Her right arm was hanging like it had no strength in it to move, so her left hand was holding on to the right arm.

They had no idea what to say to her...actually they wanted to wait until Koga came out of the bushes so they can talk to both of them at the same time. When Koga came out of the bushes, they were shock too.

Koga had all kinds of bruises on his arms and legs. Did she really beat him up that bad? When Koga saw Kagome, he smiled at her with his mouth open. But she was shocked...one of his fangs were missing. She knocked his tooth out too? Before they got over their shock, Michelle and Koga stood straight to face them correctly.

"W...what happened to you guys?" Asked Shippo. He had a little trouble asking because of the shock.

Michelle smiled and put her hand on her forehead. "We just got off the wrong foot so we beat each other up for it," answered Michelle.

"After we were tired and out of strength, we made peace and decided to come out," explained Koga happily.

"Are you sure you guys made piece?" Asked Miroku. "It looks like you're both are very pissed at each other."

From the look on their faces, yes. Sango thought this was way too weird, but then she remembered that Michelle did take self-defense class...but did she also take martial arts class to increase her strength? Maybe not...sometimes anger makes you stronger then ever.

"We're fine...just fine!" Said Michelle. "Just need to relax for a little bit!"

Kagome ignored all of this and walked up to Koga to make sure he was alright. She touched one of the bruises on his arm when her eye caught sight of it. Koga backed away from her.

"Ow! That hurts!" Said Koga.

"Sorry Koga! Do you need any medical items to heal those bruises?" Asked Kagome.

"Not really! I'm a demon, my wounds heal fast! I'll catch you later Kagome! Bye!" Koga has left there sight, but that left Michelle an angry look at him. While she sees the gust of wind going away, she thinks of the fight she has gotten into.

Sango put her hand on her forehead to be relieved. At least Inuyasha and Koga didn't start off like Michelle and Koga. But she was right about one thing. "I was right...letting out her anger just makes her stronger...strong enough to beat a demon. That's for sure!" Said Sango.

"How can you survive a beating from Koga?" Asked Shippo to Michelle.

"I had worse then that! This is just a fine, fair fight I have got into. This was easy to survive from," answered Michelle.

"You mean you have been into other fights?"

"Yeah, one of them I actually had a trip to this healing place!" Since they don't have hospitals in the Feudal Japan Era, she decided to call it a healing place. At least they won't get confused about it.

"Michelle? Do you need your bruises fixed?" Asked Kagome. She looked irritated for some reason. Maybe because she got into a fight with Koga the first time she met him like what Inuyasha did to Koga.

"Ah...no thanks! I think I can manage. So, why don't we go on ahead! LET'S GO!" Shouted Michelle.

"I wish she can stop showing off!" Said Inuyasha.

He's the one that walked up ahead and then the others followed him. He didn't know who he was pissed at the most. Michelle or Koga...or Naraku! Right now...it's Michelle because she is with them right now. But if Koga or Naraku comes to the scene, he forgets about that twit and concentrates on them.

But right now...he wants to ignore her for awhile...but then again he always ignores her. Ever since she came here she's been nothing but a show off...but that's what he thinks. Getting more attention, getting a bite from the tarantula to put venom in her body, and get in a fight with Koga. Only HE was suppose to get in a fight with Koga.

But maybe that would change if she stays around them!


	6. Chapter 6

_A Journey in a Different Time  
-Chapter 6-  
Watching Over  
_  
It's already been 3 days since Michelle has arrived to the Feudal Japan Era, and she's doing a tiny bit better now. But she still wasn't sure of being friends with them, but she's taking the chance to see if she enjoys it. She's doing well on her aiming but it's off a little so more target practice for her then!

But the thing is they haven't told her anything about Kikyo or Naraku. She did need to know who they were...she hasn't seen Naraku yet...she hasn't seen Kikyo either. She didn't know what they have looked like so how is she going to know to stay away from Naraku if he comes around.

She stopped practicing and turned around to walk back to them. She made a turn around the tree and bumped into a red object...she fell backwards and landed her bottom. She looked up to what she bumped into...Inuyasha. She saw the hatred in his eyes and she wanted to get away from him as soon as possible so he won't kill her.

"What are YOU looking at?" Asked Inuyasha, angrily.

"Nothing...just nothing!" Answered Michelle calmly.

"Whatever, Kagome told me to get you! Let's go!"

"Um...I want to stay here for awhile..."

"Too bad, Kagome wants you to have something to eat!"

"But-"

"I said LET'S GO! ARE YOU DEATH OR SOMETHING!"

"Fine!" From then on, Kagome had to follow him. She had to walk side-by- side to him. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, making sure he wasn't looking at her. She didn't want to walk with him because he hates her and all that kind of stuff. Of course, this is what she would expect from a guy like him.

She wasn't hungry right now...she wanted to stay away from them for awhile. So she turned to a different direction, and Inuyasha caught her by grabbing her arm tightly.

"Where are you going?" Asked Inuyasha.

"I'm going somewhere!" Answered Michelle.

"No you're not! Kagome is just going to send me to get you again!"

"You can just tell her I'm not hungry! And, that I want to have some more target practice!"

"Fine! I'll tell her you died!"

"Go ahead and tell her that!"

Inuyasha and Michelle walked in the opposite direction. One just hates the other...they'll never get along. But the friendship between Kagome and Inuyasha is possible but with Michelle and Inuyasha...impossible...just the thought of them being friends just scares each other. IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN!

Inuyasha went to the campsite where Kagome and the others are, who were eating their dinner early so they can travel a little bit more before late at night. Inuyasha went to them and sat on the ground to eat his food. Kagome looked at him in an angry way.

"Where is she?" Asked Kagome.

"She said she's not hungry! She wants to do some more 'target practice' right now!" Said Inuyasha. He picked up his fish and started to bite on it.

"So you just left her there? Where demons can attack and kill her?"

"Yup! Don't worry about her...she'll probably scream to death and come running to us for help before she gets killed!"

Michelle was walking by herself with the bow in her hands and the arrows in that thing. The way Kagome does it when she's in a battle. Walking silently with no one...it has been this way ever since...for a long time.

'I don't hate you...'

Strange...someone has said that to her before...but who? It was someone outside of her family...but didn't know who. Who would someone say that to her, when everybody else around her in her world say that they all hate her? What does this all mean? Why would someone say that to her? Why? Why? Why?

She stopped asking herself some questions because she heard something moving. She ran to the place where she heard. She stopped as soon as she saw the person who was making the noise. It was a little girl dressed in an orange and white kimono and black hair. She was picking flowers on the ground next to the tree. The flowers were daisies...picking them and trying to make a necklace out of it.

Michelle took a step forward, that's when the girl turned her head to Michelle and was startled.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you..." said Michelle.

"That's okay, as long you're not a demon to kill me!" Said the girl.

"By the way, I'm Michelle, what's your name?"

"It's Rin, nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too. She's so young... Um...can I join you?"

"Sure!" Michelle walked to her and sat next to her in the Japanese way. She picked a couple of flowers and started to make a flower necklace. It started out lovely, sweet and pretty. "I'm making this for someone special."

"Who might that be, Rin?"

"He is really special to me, he protects me from the youkai's when he is a youkai himself!"

"Sounds like she has a crush on a little youkai boy! How cute! Who is it?"

"His name is Sesshomaru-sama!"

"Sesshomaru? That sounds manly enough...better then someone's name!"

"Whose name?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

They both continue to finish their flower necklaces. Michelle was thinking on how she was getting along with Rin very well. She's only a little girl...and she's about what? 7 or 8 years old? "Maybe it's best to be friends with little girls like Rin!" Said Michelle.

Michelle finished her flower necklace and smiled. She looked at Rin who was almost done too. She decided to give this to Rin...so she put it around over her head and let it fall on her shoulders. Rin was surprised by her action. She looked at Michelle.

"Thank you, but why?" Asked Rin.

Michelle smiled. "Just for hanging around with me."

"Ok, then..." Rin grabbed the flower necklace she made and gave it to Michelle.

"I thought you wanted to give this to Sesshomaru."

"I did, but I can always make another one before I leave. It's just my thanks to you for being here with me so no evil youkai's can kill me!"

"Thank you...Let me help you to finish your new one!"

Michelle and Rin helped each other to make a new one for Rin to give to Sesshomaru. They had a couple of laughs at some points.

Kagome was searching her backpack for something. She dig into her stuff and found out something was missing. One of her ramen was missing...and she was expecting...Inuyasha.

"INUYASHA!" Shouted Kagome.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, he was sitting with Miroku having some kind of talk. But that stopped when Kagome called his name. He gave her a look when he saw her walking towards him angrily. "What?" Asked Inuyasha.

"Did you took one of my ramens?" Asked Kagome.

"Yeah, why?"

"I was saving that for tomorrow! You could have asked earlier instead of just taking it without asking me!"

"Does it matter? You did say you were saving that for tomorrow."

"I could've changed my mind!"

"There they go again!" Said Miroku. "It always starts off with Kagome yelling at Inuyasha."

"Not really. It always starts off when Inuyasha has done something he's not supposed to do," said Sango who was petting Kirara.

"That's true...but it's a good thing they didn't fight when Koga came like they did last time," said Shippo.

"The only people who fought was Michelle and Koga. And they did actually fight," said Miroku. He grabbed a soda nearby and drank it. Sango just watched him drink it.

"Should we stop them before Kagome says that word again?" Asked Sango.

"OSUWARI!" Shouted Kagome. They heard the loud bang in the ground.

"Too late..."

Michelle and Rin finished the flower necklace for Sesshomaru. Michelle wonder what he looked like...she imagined him a little boy. ( What you expect! She hasn't seen him yet!) It was time for Rin to leave to go to Sesshomaru. She asked for Michelle to come with her so she won't be attacked by any youkai's. She said yes and they walked together to find him.

"So, do you really like this Sesshomaru guy?" Asked Michelle.

"Yeah, he saved me from death before!" Answered Rin.

"What? You died...?"

"Yes, by a pack of wolves. Sesshomaru-sama revived me with his sword thingy and I followed him since then."

"Wow...This place is better then I thought!"

They kept talking until a person came in front of them. A green toad with a staff was beside him. A beast was behind them too. Michelle was kind of scared because of the guy that has silver hair. It reminded her of Inuyasha but this guy's hair is longer then that. She saw Rin walked up to him and held up the flower necklace.

"I made this for you Sesshomaru-sama!" Said Rin. Michelle was shocked! This was Sesshomaru? She thought he was a little youkai boy! "Sesshomaru-sama! This is Michelle, she was giving me some company while I made this for you. And she walked with me so she can protect me."

Sesshomaru looked at Michelle with the same look he always had. Michelle wanted to take a step back but something was holding her back.

"You remind me of that human mortal..." said Sesshomaru.

"Huh?"

"I'm glad you were watched over Rin, but it's time for us to go."

"Wait! It was really nice to meet you Sesshomaru. But can I ask something really quick? I'm kind of lost and-"

"I should've expect this from you..."

"And I was wondering if you can show me the way to my friends-"

"You won't me to take you to Inuyasha?"

"Well, yeah! But how did you know I was looking for him?"

"I can smell my little brother's scent on you!"

"What? You're...his older brother?"

"Half...brother! And don't call me a brother to that hanyou!"

"I'm sorry..."

"And the answer to your question is...no."

He turned to head off but Rin stopped him by grabbing his hair. "But Sesshomaru-sama! She's lost and she's my friend! I want her to be safe...please?" Said Rin. She gave him that look to beg him. He didn't find that look familiar.

He sighed. "All right! Come on!" He walked over to Michelle. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her and he started to run. Michelle couldn't keep up because he was so fast. But in an instant they were at the spot where Inuyasha and the others are.

Inuyasha stopped talking to Miroku for a second because he smelled a familiar scent. He stood up quickly and saw the person with that scent. Everybody was looking at him and then looked at the direction he was looking at. They were all surprised.

Sesshomaru pulled Michelle's wrist to them and let her go when they were standing in front of them. He turned around and closed his eyes to head off.

"Sesshomaru, wait!" He turned around and saw Michelle with a smile. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. If you want me to watch over Rin for you, I'll be happy to. I can watch over her any time you want me to!"

He looked at her. He didn't need a human to watch over a human. Is she trying to be nice? All he did know was that she's just another human hanging around with Inuyasha.

"No thanks...! I don't need your help with anything! Just make sure you don't run into me again!" Said Sesshomaru. He ran out of their sight and were speechless.

But not Inuyasha...he was beyond mad. He was angry. He walked over to her silently and gave Michelle a smack in the face. Everyone was shocked. But all Inuyasha was doing was clenching his teeth.

"Never EVER run into my brother again! If you go anywhere near him again, I swear I'll do more then to smack you!" Yelled Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, calm down!" Said Kagome.

"I won't! She shouldn't have been going to him like that and bring him here to get me pumped up! Are you trying to make me get pissed so I can smack you some more?"

Michelle put her hand on the spot where Inuyasha smacked her face. It left a red mark, did he really hate her this much? So much that he wants to hurt her...or kill her?

"I'm sorry..." Kagome and the others looked at her. "I didn't mean to bring him here but I didn't know where I was so I asked him to take me back. And besides, do you think I should know about him too? I need to know the people I should stay away from or stick with because right now I feel like I shouldn't stick with you!"

"Just shut up! You don't need to know anything! You can't ask about anything because all of this is none of your business! You understand?" Angered Inuyasha.

He turned away, walking away to a different direction to get her out of his mind. She meant nothing to him anyway so why should he care about her?

Michelle knew Inuyasha is definitely one of those guys from her and Kagome's world. A guy who hates her from appearance and would beat her up just because of that. But the thing is, every time he hits her like that, her anger rises to hate him more too. She doesn't know when she might snap and punch him out of nowhere. Pretty soon, she'll be like the guys from that place and will just beat Inuyasha up because she hates him too.

Michelle hates him too and that's all she knows. She thought she was able to make friends with Inuyasha but she thought wrong. All she knows is that nothing would make those to friends...absolutely nothing! She repeated the words Inuyasha said to her. It hurt her...a lot!


	7. Chapter 7

_A Journey in a Different Time  
-Chapter 7-  
Getting a LITTLE too Rough?_

"Kagome Higurashi! Hmm...Michelle Bitting! Strange...that's the 4th day they have been absent! Never mind...Koya Tomo!" Called the teacher.

"I'm here." Said Koya. While the teacher was calling roll, Koya was wondering on why the 2 girls would be absent this long. Koya is one of the silent types and the one who protects some kids at school from bullies. He has short black hair and light blue eyes, his eyes are sometimes the shape of Sesshomaru when he's angry. But when his eyes are normal, they're in the shape of Inuyasha but the eyebrows aren't so mean looking'.

"That is strange...it's been four days after all...both of them aren't even friends so, why? ...I hope Michelle isn't hurt." Said Koya.

Maybe Michelle has someone who cares about her after all, one of the people outside of her family. There's probably a connection between her and Koya. We might find out about what it is between those two. He probably saved Michelle from the bullies before.

"I guess I should go into her heart later..." Does this mean he has some kind of special power? Then he must be different then the other guys.

"Oy, Kagome! Can I have some ramen?" Asked Inuyasha.

"No!" Answered Kagome.

"Why?"

"Because you had some yesterday!"

"But a man needs his ramen every day!"

"Who said you're a man! You're a pig!"

"I'm not a pig!"

"You are when you eat ramen!"

The rest of them were tired of fighting. They always fight about little things. Like the ramen...which is stupid to fight over. Really stupid to fight over.

"How long do you think it's going to last this time?" Asked Sango.

"Who knows..." answered Miroku.

"You mean, they have fought longer then this?" Questioned Michelle.

"Yeah...and it gets really old when they fight about the same thing."

"And it's pretty annoying..." said Shippo. "But they're not the only ones who fight about the same thing..."

"What do you mean?" Asked Michelle.

"EEEEEEEEEEEK!" Michelle and Shippo heard a loud slap from Sango and Miroku. Michelle saw Miroku with a handprint on his face like Michelle did when he first touched her butt. He probably touched Sango's butt too and she smacked him. "When will you ever learn?"

"That's what I mean..." answered Shippo.

"O...kay! Um, Shippo? If anyone asks you where I am, just tell them I'm going to wash my face in some kind of river nearby. Which I am going to do! See you later!" Said Michelle.

She grabbed her bow and arrows and ran to these dark woods before anyone caught her sneaking off. But she needed to get away from all the fighting or she'll be the one to snap. She'll do anything to get away from the fighting freaks! Even to run away for awhile.

She found the river in the middle of her run away plan. She went to the edge of it and used it to splash water on her face. But she stopped for a minute because she felt something trigger in her body. Another danger coming? Not right now...not to her!

But she didn't have time...she quickly splash her face a couple of times before she went to tell the others.

"I soon need to fetch another soul..." said Kikyo. She was walking in the dark woods with her soul collectors, circling around her body. She held on to her bow tightly and continue walking. But she heard something...the sound of water splashing. She walked faster and found a river.

Kikyo looked to her left and to her right. She saw a familiar girl on her right. Her body faced in that direction and walked to her. The girl didn't look at her, she was too busy washing her face from the water. She was sitting in the Japanese way.

"Kagome...I thought you would be with Inuyasha," said Kikyo. The girl turned her face to Kikyo and she stood up, Kikyo realized the girl wasn't Kagome. It was someone who looked like Kagome. Same clothes and face expression. But her eyes and hair are different. "I thought you were Kagome...who are you?"

"Was this the danger I felt earlier? The feeling in my body became stronger when she came to me! Uh...my name is Michelle! And...how do you know Inuyasha and Kagome?" Asked Michelle. "She looks a lot like Kagome...Kagome did tell me she is the reincarnation of Kikyo. Could this be her?"

"If you were traveling with Inuyasha, you would know who I am."

"They didn't tell me much about you. All they said is Kagome is the reincarnation of you. So you're...Kikyo?"

"Yes...A miko with powers to purify youkai's. Kagome is the same. But I do have to ask you something. Why do you have a bow and arrows with you?"

"Kagome suggested for me to use these for me to attack youkai's. I think it's all right because I did read that miko's in the feudal time used bows and arrows to kill youkai's."

"So you're saying you're a miko too?"

"Well, I have been training to become one to help the people in need. And when I saw Kagome using her miko powers, I felt..."

"Jealous? Jealous that she has miko powers and you don't? You want them don't you."

"Actually, I need them to fight the youkai's to defend myself so no one would defend me!"

Kikyo just stared at her. She was thinking if she should take her soul or not. It might stop the suffering she was having. But it may not.

Kikyo took her steps toward Michelle and was right in front of her. Kikyo looked deeply in to her eyes and realized something...Michelle can get miko powers...but it'll take a long time. She nodded to herself.

"What?" Asked Michelle.

"I should not take your soul," answered Kikyo.

"Soul?"

"If you don't know what I am talking about, ask Kagome about it." Kikyo's hand went to grab Michelle's hand and held it. But Michelle's hand was closed. "Open your hand." She did and Kikyo saw her palm. Kikyo lift up her other hand but it was all closed up. She put her hand on top Michelle's palm and let loose for her fingers. She took her hands away and let Michelle carry the object she was holding right now.

Michelle looked at Kikyo with a confused look, and then she looked at her hand. It was another Shikon jewel. Michelle was shocked, she thought she felt something fall on to her palm when Kikyo loosen her grip.

"Why?" Asked Michelle.

"You all need the shards more then me. But I want you to take this one and don't give it to anyone."

"Why me?"

"It's just to give you a test."

"Test?"

"To see if you can handle the miko powers someday." She turned around and started to head back to where she came from. Michelle saw the soul collectors and was crept out about it. "You'll be able to have the powers someday. Make sure you dig deep into that heart of yours and find the power within. Your heart has the power...you just don't see it. Just put more faith in one arrow...and you'll see the true miko powers."

And Kikyo disappeared in the dark woods. Michelle's eyes just watched Kikyo disappear in the woods. She looked back at the shard in her hand. Now she has two shards one is Naraku's and one is Kikyo's. But then she remembered something. If she has a shard from Naraku, then Naraku would be after her because of it.

She gasped at that and quickly ran back to the others for safety. But behind a tree, a woman with black hair saw Michelle running off with two shards...Kagura.

"Shoot! And I had my chance to strike. But did she sense me? Maybe it's a good thing Kikyo came to cover my danger. That girl will now think Kikyo triggers the waves in her body now..." said Kagura. She took a feather out of her hair and let it transform. She jumped on it and head off to tell Naraku what she just saw.

Michelle finally got out of the woods and ran to Kagome. Kagome was surprised that she was gone for so long. When Michelle finally reached to Kagome, her hands went on her knees so she can catch her breath. After a couple of minutes, she stood up and found Kagome facing her.

"I just met Kikyo!" Shouted Michelle. Everyone became silence. Inuyasha's ears moved again by the sound of Kikyo's name. Now he was really pissed. Why did she have to meet Kikyo? "She didn't do anything harm to me, she only gave me a shard."

"A shard? So now you have two of them now!" Said Kagome.

"Congratulations! You have answered your question. You wanted to know who was Kikyo!" Said Miroku.

"Actually, she saw what she looks like, not who she is," said Sango.

"All I know is she is a miko and she collects souls but I have no idea why!" Said Michelle.

Inuyasha was walking angrily towards Michelle. Kagome saw that and was about to warn Michelle about his anger being off the chart. But it was too late, Inuyasha grabbed her red cloth and the little green part attached to it and pulled her to her face. To Michelle, it felt like he was going to rip her clothes.

She saw his eyes up close and she was afraid of what he is going to say. She wanted to push him away but his grip on her top shirt uniform was so tight. Inuyasha started to shake her so he can hurt her.

"WHAT ARE YOU? STUPID? I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF OUR BUSINESS! WHY DID YOU RAN INTO KIKYO ANYWAY?" Yelled Inuyasha.

"I...didn't. She came to me!" Said Michelle.

"I DON'T CARE! YOU STILL WENT INTO OUR BUSINESS! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PROBLEMS YOU HAVE CAUSED YOU WENCH! YOU HAVE WAISTED OUT TIME ON LOOKING FOR THE SHARDS! I'M SO ANGRY THAT I WANT TO BEAT YOU UP RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!"

Michelle snapped! She became angry and couldn't take all the yelling and hatred she got from him. So right hand formed a fist and she punched his jaw. It was a really strong punch to, his grip loosen and he fell backwards to the ground. Everybody was shock on how Michelle just punched Inuyasha to the ground. They thought Michelle was sweet and nice but now...they're thinking, WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?

Finally, Michelle showed her angry face. They never saw that face.

"THAT IS WHAT YOU GET FOR YELLING AT ME, DOG BOY!" Angered Michelle. "FOR TREATING ME LIKE DIRT EVER SINCE YOU MET ME!"

Inuyasha sat up and clenched his teeth. "I DON'T CARE HOW I TREAT YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE BEING NOSY!" He grabbed the same spot he grabbed earlier, she grabbed his collar like he did to her uniform.

Kagome saw what was going to happen and she needed to stop them. She got in between their fight. "Please stop this! This isn't the time or place to fight about anything," said Kagome.

"She started it!" Said Inuyasha.

"What are you? Twelve?" Asked Michelle.

"I think you're both being twelve!" Said Kagome.

"Just make sure she stays the hell away from me!" Angered Inuyasha.

"Same goes for me! I want him to stay the hell away from me as well!" Angered Michelle.

"This has gone to far..." said Miroku.

"First it was Kagome and Inuyasha...now it's Michelle and Inuyasha. What's next?" Asked Shippo.

"Maybe Kagome and Michelle. I would hate to see that argument. It'll just hurt Michelle more," answered Sango.

"Next time you meet Kikyo you stay the hell away from her too!" Warned Inuyasha.

"How about you tell me what is the history between you and Kikyo?" Asked Michelle.

"That stuff is none of your business, wench!"

"Shut up dog boy!"

"Do you want to start another fight?"

"I would love to start another fight with you!"

"Please don't! I already have a headache so don't make it worse!" Complained Kagome.

"Tell that to her!" Inuyasha was pointing a finger at Michelle.

"You just love to blame others, don't you!" Said Michelle.

"Yeah, I do! Especially you!"

"You wanna start again?"

"Yeah I would love to!"

"I thought I told you guys to stop!" Said Kagome.

Sango and the others was watching the whole thing. But Sango was close enough about the fighting thing. It was Inuyasha, Michelle and Kagome fighting all together instead of Kagome and Michelle fighting. They ignored them, pretending they don't know them anymore because of all the fighting.

Who knows how long Michelle will get along with EVERYBODY!


	8. Chapter 8

_A Journey in a Different Time  
-Chapter 8-  
Losing a Life_

"So Kikyo gave her shard to the new girl?" Asked Naraku. He was in his usual position sitting in the same place.

"Yes, but I don't think she sense me at all because Kikyo was around. She must have thought Kikyo was the danger she was sensing," explained Kagura. "If you don't believe me, Kanna probably saw it through her mirror."

"Is it?"

"Yes, Naraku," said Kanna.

"She now has two of them...but I want mine back."

"Why don't we attack them?" Asked Kagura.

"But that girl will be detecting us."

"I know...I mean to kill Inuyasha and the others and THEN kill the girl. You'll be able to have both of the shards she has. And the girl will be able to fight all alone anyway. She's too afraid of that."

"I see what you mean. Maybe we'll try that next..."

its dark...this place is pitch black. Why? There in the middle, Michelle is laying there peacefully with her eyes closed. She wants to open them, but she couldn't. Why can't she open her eyes? She needs to see. What's the point anyway? Its pitch black so there's nothing to see here. The only thing she can do is listen for any movement or voice around.

Everything is so quite, she can't even move her body anywhere. Not only she can just lay there and listen, but she can breathe too. That's another thing...

What's that sound? Someone is coming to her? But who would it be?

She heard the voice spoken, the sound of a male voice.

"Who's there?" Asked Michelle.

"Someone you know and someone you don't know," answered the male voice.

"What do you mean?"

"You know me but you don't because you erased me from your memory." She heard the footsteps coming closer to her body. "But the question is, who are you?"

"Michelle...why do you ask?"

"I'm not asking for your name. Who are you exactly?"

"I don't know."

"Then why are you here?"

"I have no idea."

"Why don't you know?"

"I...guess it's because...I have no love."

"That's not true!"

"What do you mean?"

"Think about Kagome...Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. They're your friends and they love you..."

"No they don't."

"They do, you just don't see it really well."

"Who are you?"

"Someone from your past."

"That's not enough information."

"Then open your eyes."

"I can't!"

"You can because I told you to."

Michelle was afraid to open them because of what she might see. She open them slowly and saw a face looking at her. It was a guy with light blue eyes and short black hair, he was wearing a school uniform from her and Kagome's school. But she doesn't remember him...at all.

"Who are you?" She asked again.

"My name is...Koya."

That was only a dream. She was only taking a nap against a tree. Who knew she would get a quick dream from a little nap!

It was a nice beautiful afternoon, looking up at the blue sky wondering what's going to happen next. Her body was tired but she didn't want to get back to sleep after a nice good nap.

"You're finally awake!"

Michelle turned to her side and found Shippo walking to her and sat right next to her. "Hi Shippo." Said Michelle.

"Here! Kagome told me to give this to you!" Shippo handed her a little bag of chips. She took it out of Shippo's hands. "Kagome thought you would be hungry when you woke up."

"Thanks..." She open the bag slowly and took a chip out one at a time to take little bites of it so it can be saved later and so it can last longer. She and Shippo continue to look up at the sky with silence. But not until Shippo spoke up again.

"The reason I got away was because of the couple being together."

"You mean for Kagome having Inuyasha and Sango having Miroku?"

"Yup! I needed to get away from them."

"They're lucky...they have someone to care about. I wish I had someone like that."

"Join the club! I feel the same way."

"Well...I'm not sure of that, I sometimes see you play with Kirara. You have someone and I don't."

"Oy, oy, oy! Don't feel bad! You'll have someone to care about. Or better yet, be friends with a nice good girl or boy!"

"I hope that's someday soon." Michelle took another chip and ate that one slowly too. Then she started to think about the first day she came here. She felt something warm against her before she woke up and felt a slight wind...probably jumping out of the well...but who was that? "Shippo? Who was the person who got me out of the well the first day I came here?"

"Inuyasha did...he set you on the ground gently when he got you out of the well. Why?"

"Just curious...that's all!"

"Oh! But it was kind of scary when you two were about to go into a fight earlier. I don't see how he can hate you so much!"

"I don't either! But who cares about him anyway?" She closed the bag of chips and put it in her pocket skirt. She grabbed her bow and stood up about to walk away.

"Oy! Where are you going?"

"Some where so I don't have to think about that hanyou!"

Shippo saw her walked away from him slowly. Did he made her mad? "Was I not suppose to mention Inuyasha's name?"

Michelle walked by herself in the middle of a forest having no idea where to go. She didn't care where she went, as long as she can get that baka hanyou out of her head. But why does she keep thinking about him? She hates him and he hates her! She knew she would hate him for the rest of her life! And so will that hanyou!

For the past 5 min. she still has the hanyou in her head! Now she's pissed off for having him in her head!

"AAAH!"

She stopped in her tracks when she heard that scream. That made Inuyasha get out of her head! She ran fast in the forest, getting the twigs out of the way so she can see. She had to beat the bush if she wants to know where that scream is coming from. When she finally came to the scene, she saw a girl...no, a teenage girl being chased by a youkai.

The teenage girl had brown hair, a light green kimono and...she couldn't tell the color of the girl's eyes from where she was, so she grab an arrow from behind her in that quiver and aimed it at the youkai that was chasing the teenage girl. She shot it and the arrow aimed straight to the youkai's belly, it went right through it.

The youkai ran away from the scene and the teenage girl fell to her knees, with her hands keeping her balance. Michelle quickly ran to her to make sure she was okay.

"Are you okay?" Asked Michelle.

The girl turned her head to look at Michelle. She finally got to see her eyes...blue. "Yes, arigato!" Answered the teenage girl. She stood up and bowed to Michelle. "My name is Sasue..." ( That's pronounce Sa-su-eh! A 16 year-old!)

"My name is Michelle, nice to meet you!" She bowed to Sasue too. She stood straight after a few seconds have passed. "What was that kind of youkai anyway?"

"A spider-head. There are lots of spiders in this kind of forest, so it's best for us to get out of here." Sasue grabbed Michelle's wrist and pulled it so they both can run out of that forest. "Come on! I'll take you to my favorite place!"

"O...kay!"

"This is your favorite spot?" Asked Michelle. There were on top of a hill, where it's nice and clear with nothing to get in the way to block any view.

"Yes!" Answered Sasue. They both sat down on top of it and hugged their knees and bring it close to their chest.

"It's okay! Because my favorite place is on the roof to look up at the stars!"

"I like it right here...it's for me to look up in the sky and it helps me to think about my parents. You see...they're dead...they died by a pack of youkais..."

"Which were...?"

"The one that Naraku sends...and I know which kind of demons they are because one of those youkais have a sign that says 'death' on it."

"Have you actually seen this Naraku person?"

"Only once...with my parents. My parents told me to run away so I won't get hurt...but all I did was to see their death."

"Maybe it's one of the reasons why one of the youkais have the sign 'death' on it."

"Maybe...But I want to find them so I can kill them myself!"

"Just you?"

"No...you too!"

"What?"

"Don't worry...my father taught me how to use the sword really well."

"Then how come you didn't use it before?"

"I was caught off guard and didn't know what to do so I ran for my life."

"I see..." Everything became silent. But Michelle only knew one thing to cheer her up. Is to sing the song from her favorite show called "Fruits Basket." ( That's my favorite show so don't say anything!) She started to sing it out loud. "I was so happy when you smiled. Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey..."

"What's that?"

"A song I learned! It's my favorite."

"I wanna hear the rest of it."

Michelle smiled. She likes to sing both the English and Japanese version of this song. But she would rather sing the English version of it...so she continue to sing it.

Far from the sunny day that lie in sleep.

Waiting the patience for the Spring, when the flowers will bloom renewed again, knowing that there's more beyond the pain of today.

Although the scars of yesterday remain...

You can go on living as much as your heart believes.

You can't be born again although you can change.

Let's stay together, itsumo (Which means always.)

Sasue became silent after Michelle sang that song. She closed her eyes...probably singing the song in her head.

"I like it..." said Sasue.

"Me too..." said Michelle.

"I want to hear that song again...right before I die."

"You're not going to die now!"

"I know...soon...very soon I will."

"Huh?" Sasue didn't get to answer that question. The white clouds turned black and the area became dark all of a sudden. Both Michelle and Sasue looked up in the sky and were waiting for something to happen. Michelle got up and her eyes widen.

"What?" Asked Sasue.

"Danger is coming...youkais...a pack of them." Answered Michelle.

"You can sense danger? Well, if you can sense it, then is it the pack that killed my parents?"

"I don't know. But, I think you should get ready for a battle you wanted to get in to."

Sasue stood up. "All right!" She took her sword out of her scabbard and waited for the demons to come out anywhere.

They both waited for the youkais to come out. And they did...the came flying down from the sky, Naraku's youkais came down to attack...some blue, some orange, and Michelle and Sasue were waiting impatiently for them to come.

But that didn't matter. "Ah!" Michelle felt some kind of pain on her shoulder. She felt sharp teeth digging into her uniform and went into her skin. The blood came out of her body and it rolled down her arm and over her breasts. It stained her uniform and her and the blood rolled down her hand and it dripped on the ground. She was about to fall forward until Sasue cut the youkai in half and it turned to ashes. "Thanks!"

"Anything to kill them! That pack of youkais from the sky are defiantly the ones who killed my parents! I saw that sign on the youkai that attacked you. All we have to do is kill the rest of them."

"You must have more experience battling then me!"

"I am!"

Inuyasha opened his eyes from his nap...he smelled blood. He knew who's it was...the human girl he hates. He smelled her blood when that little spider gave her hole marks on her neck. He sat up from his position, laying on his side, his elbow on the ground, his chin resting in the palm of his hand.

Kagome saw his reaction. "Something wrong?" Asked Kagome.

He looked at her. "Nothing...I only just smelled Michelle's blood," answered Inuyasha.

"What?" Said Miroku. "Aren't you going to go after her to see if she's alright?"

"Nah...she probably cut herself from the arrow...No matter what they say I won't be her friend or help her at all!"

While slicing the youkais and shooting the arrows through their stomachs and their throats, they had no problem of killing them...yet. Sasue kept swinging her sword around which killed twice as more youkais then Michelle was doing with the arrows.

"This is a lot! Too much for me!" Complained Michelle. "At least it's for me to get ready for the real thing against Naraku!"

"Too bad I won't be around to face him!" Said Sasue, doing a triple twirl of killing the youkais heading towards her.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe you'll be able to see once we're done with them."

"Kagome, I'm hungry!" Said Shippo.

"Again? What have you been eating?" Asked Kagome.

"Nothing..."

"I thought I gave you chips to eat."

"You told me to give them to Michelle. She gave me a few chips before she left."

"Left? To where?"

"I don't know. She didn't tell me!"

"All right! Hold on a second!" Kagome went through her yellow backpack to search for the other bag of chips to give to Shippo. She found it at the bottom and took out to give it to Shippo. He smiled happily and grabbed the bag and opened it to get the...broken pieces of chips? "I guess they must've been smushed when they were at the bottom...Gomen!"

"It's okay! It'll last longer at least!" He took a bite of the small chip and continue to eat the other small ones.

Kagome smiled and looked back at Inuyasha with a sigh. He was taking a nap again. Why didn't he want to go see what's wrong with Michelle? Who cares if he doesn't like her or whatever! She's still traveling with them.

There was hardly any youkais left. But they were no where in sight. Michelle could tell they're still alive because of the feeling inside of her body. It hasn't gone away yet...and it'll only go away unless they kill all the evil surrounding them. They were standing separately apart waiting for the last youkai to make it's move.

Michelle was kind of getting scared right now because it was just too quite. She can't tell if the youkai will come from behind and try to kill her. She couldn't tell anything at this kind of moment...but she can hear.

"AAH!" Michelle heard the scream behind her and turned around and saw a sword has gone through Sasue's stomach. Michelle saw the owner of the sword but it was in disguise. Covered in white...who was that?

"SASUE!" Screamed Michelle.

The owner of the sword took it out and stared at Michelle. She couldn't see the eyes very well, it was dark enough for her not to see. "I'm warning you human! Take care of my jewel shard!" Said the owner of the sword.

Michelle was about to ask who he was but Sasue turned around and sliced him in half, and he turned to dust. Sasue fell to the ground, Michelle saw a brown thing wrapped in some kind of string...no, not string, hair? She ignored that quickly and ran to Sasue who was laying on the ground one her back.

"Hm?" Inuyasha smelled another splatter of blood joined Michelle's. Now he was worried. What is going on with her? Inuyasha stood up and spoke up loudly for everybody to hear. "I'm going to find the girl!"

"It's about time!" Said Sango.

"Yeah...what took you so long to decide to go and get her?" Asked Miroku.

"Another smell of blood has joined her's. And it's human blood...not coming from her but a different person!" Answered Inuyasha.

"Do you want us to go with you?" Asked Shippo.

"No...I'll go alone!"

"Fine! But you don't dare punch her!" Said Kagome.

"I won't!" He turned his back on them and jumped on to the direction of where he smells the blood. He needed to know the other smell of blood...he didn't care about Michelle's wound.

"Michelle...?" Questioned Sasue. Her head resting on Michelle's knees.

"Yes...?" They were both covered in stains of blood. Before when Michelle shot an arrow at a youkai that came very close to her...spilled it's blood over her right eye. But she closed it before the blood went into her eye, so now the blood is around her right eye, and the blood stains on her right shoulder from the start of the battle.

"I want you to do something for me..."

"What is it?"

Sasue sat up slowly and took something out of her kimono pocket. It was short...small...a dagger. She held the dagger out for Michelle to take it out of her hand. "Finish me...kill me!"

"What? Why?"

"There's nothing left for me to do here anymore. I have got my revenge on the pack of youkais. So there's nothing left for me to do..."

"That's not true! There is something for you to do! You just need to find it!"

"I don't plan on having kids...I promised myself...that when I killed the pack of youkais that killed my parents, I would kill myself or find someone to do it for me."

"I don't care! I won't do it!"

"Please...? For me...?"

Michelle's eyes were heated and were filled with tears. She didn't want to lose a friend she just had and made for just a couple of hours. Sasue was the only friend who would listen to her outside of Kagome and the others. She didn't want to lose her.

Sasue forced the dagger into Michelle's hands and waited for her to stab her in the stomach or somewhere in the chest. But Michelle froze...she can't do it. She's not that kind of a person.

"Just do it!" Commanded Sasue.

"I won't! Friends don't do that to one another! I can't just kill you just like that! It's too painful! And I don't understand why you say there's nothing left for you to do here. There is lots of things for you to do."

"Not for me...my life ends here." The wound she got from the person, was bleeding all over the ground...and some went on Michelle's legs. "So will you do it or not?"

"How many times have I told you! I won't do it!"

Sasue sighed. "Fine...I'll do it then." She grabbed the dagger out of Michelle's hands and forced herself to stand up. It took awhile because of the wound in her stomach. But when she finally stood up, she pointed the sharp end to the middle of her chest between where her breasts is. "I'm glad you helped me Michelle...you helped me destroy my enemy...So I want to ask you a favor. Sing that song again once I have done it..."

"Please don't..."

"You can't stop me...goodbye Michelle..." And then she did it...she stabbed herself in the middle of the chest, blood splattered on Michelle's hair and some on her face and on her skirt...( You wouldn't believe how much blood she was covered in!) And that was it...Sasue fell to the ground with no sign of life in her eyes. Michelle's eyes widen and she froze when Sasue landed on the ground. She didn't know what to do...except to sing her that song.

I was so happy when you smiled, your smile breaks through the clouds of grey

Michelle sang the song with tears rolling down her cheeks. Her heart was hurt once again...losing a life of a friend. Now she knows why Kagome hates the one or two things about this world. There is lots of bloodshed and deaths after all.

As she sang the last few lines...she cried with all her might.

You can't be born again although you can change...

Let's stay together, itsumo...

That was it...it's over...Michelle couldn't bare the pain in her heart. It was too much...it pained her heart and that made her cry. When ever something has pained her heart or like attacked it...she gives out a bit pain as in other words...crying.

Michelle didn't notice that she wasn't alone. She heard footsteps coming from behind her and she looked behind her and looked at the face. She quickly turned her head back to Sasue and wiped away her tears.

"At least you experienced it...the loss of losing someone important to you. I felt that once..." said Inuyasha.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Asked Michelle.

"I'm not being nice! I'm being...no, I'm telling you this because you're going to be feeling the pain a lot in this hell hole of a world!"

"I don't care! You still don't have to come here! ...Wait! Have you been watching the whole thing?"

"Watching and listening...I only heard the part when she asked you to kill her when she handed you her dagger." He went to her side and bend on one knee to take out the dagger out of Sasue's chest and then looked at Michelle in the eyes. He forced her face to face him by grabbing her chin to look at him. "Who was she? I smell her blood on you...and a youkai blood on you too."

"Her name was Sasue..."

"What's with the youkai blood then?"

"I killed it and an it's blood landed on my eye but I closed it in time for it not to go into my eye." Michelle stood up, not looking at him. "We need to give her a respectful burial. You dig the hole!"

"What? Why me?"

"Because you're the one with the claws dog-boy!"

After a while like 20 min. or so, Inuyasha digged a hole big enough to fit Sasue's body. Inuyasha carried her dead body and put it in the hole and put the dirt on her to cover her body. Michelle had to help because she was her friend after all.

After that, Michelle sat in front of the grave to see the bump in front of her, where Sasue's body was buried. Michelle sat in the Japanese style and put her hands together to pray for her soul and closed her eyes. Michelle has been training over a year to become a miko and this is part of it.

Then Michelle sat up and bowed to her grave and left with Inuyasha to go back to the others. Inuyasha noticed that Michelle was covered in blood...almost all over. In her hair, on her right shoulder and some on her arm, on her face and on her legs and her skirt. Inuyasha wanted to know what has she been through to get all of this. But didn't care about her being well, he only wanted to know how Michelle got that much blood in the first place. Well, most of it did came from Sasue after all...

Kagome packed up the rest of her things to put in her backpack, and took the straps and put it over her shoulder. She was ready to go any time but waited for Inuyasha and Michelle to come. She looked at Miroku, Sango and Shippo because they were playing the game of cards she showed them.

So far...Miroku was winning the game!

"Hey guys! I need to pack up the cards too..." said Kagome.

"Aww! Do you have to? It was just getting started!" Complained Shippo.

"We understand, now give me the cards Shippo!" Commanded Miroku. "You too, Sango." They both gave him the rest of the cards. He stood up and walked over to Kagome to give it to her. Kagome put it in her smallest pocket on her backpack and set it on her back again. But her eyes widen when she saw two people heading towards them. Miroku noticed that look and turned around and saw them. "Inuyasha...? Michelle...?"

"Michelle...what happened?" Asked Sango. "You're covered in blood!"

"I know that! You don't have to tell me!" Said Michelle.

"Do you want to tell us what happened?" Asked Miroku.

"No! Let's just go on!" Her right hand was holding onto her left arm, and looked at the ground. Her bangs covered her eyes so no body can see them. She walked on ahead and didn't to think about Sasue. It's now in the past...there's no point on looking back now.


	9. Chapter 9

_A Journey in a Different Time  
-Chapter 9-  
A Guy Name Who?  
_  
Kagome and company has arrived at a hot spring, Kagome and Sango suggest for Michelle to get in too, she needed to wash away the blood stained on her. Michelle refused but Kagome and Sango forced her in! First they dunk her whole body into the hot spring with her clothes still on. Kagome and Sango wouldn't let go of her head unless they think some of the blood stains have disappeared a little bit.

When they finally let go of her head, her head raised up from the water and she tried to catch her breath. Her hair and her clothes were soaking wet and she was sweating a lot because of the clothes, so she went behind a rock to get undressed and grab a towel since Kagome and Sango wouldn't stop nagging at her.

When she wrapped the towel around her dirty, bloody naked body she went into the hot spring and sat on her bottom and let Sango and Kagome talk some things over. Something about Miroku and Inuyasha not seeing them naked again and giving them bumps on their heads for them to learn their lesson. But she didn't pay any attention to anything after that because she was concentrating to get the blood out of her hair. Her clothes were blood- stained free but her body and hair wasn't.

"Michelle...? You need to wash your hair! It still smells like blood," said Kagome.

"I don't care about that now! What I'm really worried about is what am I going to wear once I get out of this hot spring?" Asked Michelle.

"Don't worry! One of us will stop by Kaede's village to get some clothes!" Said Sango. "But you're going to have to stay in this hot spring until we get it! Understand?"

"Yes! I understand! Kagome...do you have any soap for me to wash the blood off of my body?" Asked Michelle.

"Yes, but you have to wash that blood off by a waterfall. You can't wash it in the hot spring! It won't go anywhere! I also did brought some shampoo just in case!" Answered Kagome.

"And conditioner?"

"Yup!"

"Good! I really need to get the blood out of my hair."

"But I want to ask you something...actually me and Sango wants to ask you something. How did you get blood all over you? Inuyasha told me it was because of someone killing herself."

"I don't want to talk about it..."

"You can't keep it from us forever you know! It should be important to tell us about these kind of things!" Said Sango.

"It may be important to you but not to me! So stay out of it!"

They were silent for awhile. But when there was too much silence, Kagome and Sango decided to go and the get the clothes from Kaede's village. They both had to leave just in case. If Kagome goes...she would barely have a chance to defend herself. So they left Michelle there until they can come back with the clothes. Michelle put the towel back next to the backpack which was behind the rock where she undressed.

All Michelle did was sat in the hot spring and looked at the path that lead to the hot spring. The path was in the form of a hill in the middle of the forest. So if someone was on the hill and slip, it would slid down to the hot spring where Michelle is.

"I think I need a bath! It's already been 5 days since I haven't taken a bath!" Said the guy. He had a long black braided hair and blue eyes, a blue and white kimono. Actually, the blue was part of the design of the kimono. The blue on his arms of the kimono, chest and back were like waves on him. They were going across not facing up or down. He had a nice built sword. ( Almost like Bankotsu's but a less wide. Don't worry...it's not Bankotsu.)

He had no idea where he was going. All he knew was walking in the forest trying to find a hot spring. When he found a hill, he put his sword into his scabbard and climb the hill to get a better view. He saw some steam so he suspect to be a hot spring near by. He had to climb the hill with both his hands and legs. It was very difficult.

He finally got to the top and stood on it. It was a nice very dark night...but it was too dark for him. The moon was nice and bright. He loved to look at the stars and sometimes imagine his home or imagine his wife-to- be. But he doesn't have a wife. It's one of the reasons why he travels alone. To find a wife and to kill Naraku.

He smiled to himself and took a step forward, he stepped on a little rock and put pressure into his foot and slipped backwards down the hill to where the steam was. He couldn't see very well because he slid down the hill so fast that he didn't noticed he landed in a hot spring. He didn't let his head rise up to the surface because he heard a girl screamed and was wondering what that was.

He lift his head out of the water with his eyes closed and gave out a loud sigh. When he finally opened them, he figured where that scream was coming from. It was from a woman...he saw a woman in the hot spring, her back was against the huge rock behind her and she was using her arms to cover her breasts. He saw the woman had short brown hair a little bit under her shoulders, and nice hazel eyes. He looked at those eyes and began to blush but then he realized he was still in the hot spring with this naked woman.

He looked at the area around him and then looked at the naked woman...but his eyes landed on her breasts but he can barely see it because of her arms. But he could still see some of the skin. "Uh...It's a nice night to take a bath, huh?" Asked the guy.

"W-Who are you?" Asked Michelle.

"Don't worry miss! I won't do anything harmful to you. As you may know I am human!"

"A perverted human! That's what you are!"

"Hold it! I think we have got off the wrong foot." The guy walked closer to her and Michelle continued to try and cover herself under water. But the guy grabbed her arm so he can touch the soft skin while Michelle tries to cover her breasts with one arm. He made her stood up and Michelle grew even more embarrassed. Then he looked at her face but she wasn't facing him. Her eyes were closed tight and her face was facing the water. He used his free hand and touched her cheek and moved her face to look at him, Michelle opened her eyes to see his. "My name is Natsuyo, a traveler."

"And my name is Michelle, a scared and embarrassed girl waiting for you to let go of my arm so I can scream my head off!"

"Don't worry! I won't hurt you in any way!"

Michelle blushed and turned her face away. "Please leave before anyone sees you like this!"

"There's some other people around? I never knew!"

"I don't feel comfortable like this! Please leave before I scream!" He pulled her closer to him but Michelle felt more frightened when she felt his wet kimono against her bare skin. She blushed even more. She was about to scream but Natsuyo put his hand over her mouth.

"Please don't scream! I'm begging you! I just want to talk to you and have a nice time." She pulled his hand away from her mouth.

Michelle had some nasty thoughts in her head. "Ew! Get away from me!"

"Oh, no! I didn't mean anything like that! I meant I want to have a nice conversation with you!" His hand rubbed her back and Michelle felt a shiver up her spine. "Please? I just want a nice conversation with a nice beautiful girl."

"Ew! You really have to get away from me!

"Aw man! That's not what I meant either! I didn't mean that you have a nice beautiful naked body! I meant to say you have a beautiful face that's all."

Michelle pushed him away and turned around to get her towel. But Natsuyo wrapped his arms around her naked body, his arms on her's. His chest on her back. Michelle put her hands to her chest and Natsuyo's hands followed her's, his arms on top of her arms. Michelle was trying to struggle her way out of this some kind of weird hug but his grip around her was too strong.

"Michelle! Are you still in the hot spring?" She heard Kagome's voice and panicked!

"Natsuyo! Please get off of me!" Complained Michelle.

"Huh?" Questioned Natsuyo. He didn't hear anyone coming.

Kagome and Sango came to the hot spring and were smiling with their eyes closed. "We got the clothes you needed! Here...it is?" Confused Sango. Both Kagome and Sango had open their eyes and saw the guy's chest against Michelle's naked back. They saw his arms over on top of her's and his hands on her hands to her chest. Michelle was blushing rapidly and Natsuyo was confused.

"Um...Should we come back later for you guys to finish something here?" Asked Kagome.

"No! It's not what you think! I don't even know him!" Panicked Michelle. "Natsuyo! Tell them!"

"You may not know him but you know his name..." said Sango.

"I DON'T KNOW HIM!" Screamed Michelle.

"Wait! Please don't scream Michelle!" Said Natsuyo.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

After 10 minutes, Michelle had the miko kimono on. Top white and the bottom red like what Kikyo's wearing. Michelle's hair was still wet and she was very pissed at Natsuyo. Her hair was in a pony tail to get her wet hair out of the way. She was closing her eyes to imagine to beat him up because he was sitting next to her. His hand on the back of his head with a smile and was kind of laughing like this: "Heh-heh!"

"It's not funny!" Warned Michelle.

"Hey! I said I was sorry! I didn't mean to do that," said Natsuyo.

Kagome and Sango were sitting across from Michelle and Natsuyo. Inuyasha was sitting by Kagome, Sango was sitting by Miroku and they stared at them blankly. Shippo had no idea what's going on. Inuyasha just laughed at Michelle.

"Ha ha! You almost got raped!" Said Inuyasha.

"I didn't get raped, baka! HE only wrapped his arms around me!" Angered Michelle.

"He almost did, though!"

"Actually, I wasn't planning to rape anyone!" Said Natsuyo.

"Why are you here anyway?" Asked Kagome.

"I'm actually traveling to find a wife and-"

"Well, you found one all right!" Said Inuyasha.

"Shut up you stupid dog!" Shouted Michelle.

"Anyway! I'm not just looking for a wife, I'm also looking for Naraku so I can kill him."

"Why?" Asked Sango.

"Because he killed my entire family and took a shard from me!"

"A shard? I kind of got one from Naraku..." said Michelle.

"Really?" He looked at Michelle who of course was next to her. He gave her a warm smile. "If it's suppose to be mine then you can keep it!"

"...What?"

"You can keep it. I trust you!"

"But we just met not too long ago!"

"I know! I want you to have it!"

Michelle lift her hand up to feel his forehead. "You have no fever but do you need any medical treatment?"

Natsuyo used his hand to grab her hand which is on his forehead. He held her hand with both of his hands. Michelle blushed and turned her head to face Kagome so she can avoid looking at Natsuyo. And to make sure she hides the blush from Natsuyo.

"I may not have a fever...but I do need medical treatment...from you!"

Michelle turned her head back to Natsuyo. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh...nothing that special!"

"He reminds me of Miroku! Get this guy away from me! Can you let go of my hand?"

"Maybe I shouldn't. Your hands are so cold I think my hands can fill that warmth on your hands."

"Uh...guys? We're still here!" Said Kagome.

Natsuyo didn't let go of her hand. He still held them and looked deep into Michelle's eyes. Natsuyo didn't even hear Kagome said that. He was too busy filling Michelle's hands with warmth, and he was also too busy falling in love with her...or is he falling in love with her.

"OY! WE'RE STILL HERE! YOU CAN STOP WITH THE MUSHY STUFF!" Angered Inuyasha.

"It's not mushy! He's just trying to give me hints that he likes me! But I think it's too much of a hint!" Said Michelle.

"I think it's time to go to bed," said Miroku.

"All right...but no one better not think about sleeping with the opposite sex, you got that?" Said Kagome.

"Right..." said everybody.

Inuyasha, Miroku and Natsuyo were staying up to watch the girls. Since they're like men, they have to protect the woman they are traveling with! Inuyasha was sitting in his usual position, Miroku laying on his side, Natsuyo was just sitting on his bottom that keeps looking at Michelle, and she was still in her miko clothes she is borrowing.

"Oy! Don't you know you remind me of someone here?" Asked Inuyasha.

Natsuyo turned his head to Inuyasha and smiled. "Oh, no! I'm not a pervert! I'm just thinking on how beautiful she looks in the night and when she sleeps," explained Natsuyo.

"That still makes you a pervert!"

"But still, no one can be like me!" Said Miroku.

"You're the even worse pervert!" Said Inuyasha. "Anyway, why are you really here?"

"I told you guys before, I need to kill Naraku..." said Natsuyo.

"That's not the whole story!"

"Fine! If you really want to know...let's just say Naraku killed me before...but he revived me to work for him," said Natsuyo. "He wanted me to work for him...my first assignment was to find Michelle and kill her to get the two Shikon jewel shards she has. But I'm not a killer, so I'm making Naraku think I work for him."

"So, do you like Michelle?" Asked Miroku.

"Well...yeah! She's beautiful and funny and...a little crazy!"

"Enough talk about her! You were saying!" Said Inuyasha.

"Right! If Naraku finds out I was betraying him all this time, he'll kill me...by sending a powerful youkai to kill me...or let Kagura come and kill me or let Kanna come and take my soul...or Kohaku-"

"Okay! Enough! I get the message..."

"Are you going to tell your woman?" Asked Miroku.

"Don't be like Koga, Miroku!" Angered Inuyasha.

"Um...I'm not sure she's my woman, but I know I'm not going to tell her about this. I don't want her to know any of this of what we were talking about. Understand?"

Miroku raised his right hand. "I understand!"

"I guess..." said Inuyasha.

"Thanks...I don't want her to know." Said Natsuyo.

"All right! Let's talk about something else!" Said Inuyasha.

It was bright and early. The way everybody else likes it because you can see everything in the light. But for awhile, Michelle has to wear the miko clothes because her school uniform is a little wet. But it was alright to her, she kind of likes the miko clothes. Inuyasha hated it like always because now Michelle reminds him of Kikyo. But Michelle was still asleep as they know it. They're just packing things up before they leave. But Natsuyo is also sleeping too.

He's sleeping next to...

Michelle woke up and felt an arm around her shoulder. She found out her head was laying on someone's chest and took the arm off. She pulled herself up to look at the person who was next to her.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Screamed Michelle.

"Now what?" Asked Inuyasha.

"That's probably Natsuyo just waking up from Michelle's screaming. We did saw him going over to her and sleep next to her," said Miroku.

Back to where Michelle and Natsuyo was, Natsuyo did woke up from Michelle's screaming. But the only thing he got out of her was some slapping in the face of being such a stickin' pervert she thinks he is.

"How dare you sleep next to me like that! Who told you to do that anyway?" Angered Michelle. She gave him a hard slap in the cheek.

"I...was drunk?" Said Natsuyo.

"Does it look like there's any sake around here for you to get drunk?"

"Ah...yeah. You're the sake who got me drunk!" Said Natsuyo with a funny lookin' smile on his face.

"Did you...just-"

"No! I didn't do anything that much to you. I only slept next to you."

"Why, you-"

She was about to hit him so hard he won't be able to remember a thing of what he did. But she stopped when she saw those gorgeous blue eyes. She blushed and sat back down. She was about to apologize to him. She turned her head to him but she was shocked on what happened next. He kissed her cheek. It lasted for a few minutes though. Then Natsuyo pulled back and smiled at her.

"Don't worry...I only like you as a friend. I'm not trying to do anything stupid to you or with you, I was only kidding about all that mushy stuff. But you can still keep the jewel shard if you like," said Natsuyo.

"T-Thanks..." Michelle was heart broken...she thought he really liked her. She likes him...she thinks he's cute, funny...has nice blue eyes and nice long black braided hair. She really thought he liked her...no, not like her...love her. She fell in love with him. Love at first sight is what they call it these days. And she thought that would happen to him. It happened to her. Even though he made a horrible impression when they first met last night.

"Are you okay?" Asked Natsuyo. He felt her forehead with his hand. "You seem to be okay." At that time, Michelle thought he really liked her. But knew he didn't...but she still blushed when he touched her forehead. She used her hands to put his hand down.

"I'm fine...just a little tired," answered Michelle.

"OY! COME ON! WE'RE LEAVING!" Shouted Inuyasha.

Natsuyo stood up and helped Michelle up by lending her a hand. He pulled her up on her feet and they walked out of the forest quietly without saying a word to each other. Michelle tighten the miko clothes on her because of Natsuyo. She didn't want him to see her like that again.

They finally came out of the forest, Inuyasha and the others were waiting for Michelle and Natsuyo.

"Come on! Let's go!" Said Miroku.

"Just a minute! I need to say goodbye to Michelle," said Natsuyo.

"You're leaving?" Questioned Michelle.

"Yeah! I have to continue to look for Naraku again so I can kill him."

"How come you didn't tell me?"

"I...could've hurt you. And I didn't want that."

"We'll just go on ahead, okay?" Said Sango.

"All right!" Said Michelle. After they continue to walk on ahead, Michelle turned her attention back to Natsuyo. "I...kind of wanted you to come with us..." Her face started to turn red.

"I want to, too. But I can't, I might hurt you," said Natsuyo.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing! But I do want to give you something before I leave."

"Huh? But I thought the shard was enough. What is that you-" She was cut off because something had landed on her lips. Natsuyo's lips...had landed on her's. He was kissing her for real. Did he really like her? Or is he just kidding about the kiss too? The kiss only lasted for a few minutes and then he removed his lips from her's.

"That was a friend kiss." He said...

"For what?"

"For being a good friend while it lasted and pretending to hate me!" He put another smile on his face. She smiled back at him.

"Thanks!"

"I'll see you again...really soon! I promise!" He turned his face away and faced the opposite direction. He started to run to that direction and Michelle just watched him leave. "That was a real kiss Michelle...And I truly will come back to you. Because...I really like you."

Looks like they like each other. But who will confess first? Michelle or Natsuyo? Who knows who!

Michelle tried to run in the miko clothes but it was difficult to her. But she caught up with the others in time. But the only thing they did was embarrass her because they saw Natsuyo kissed Michelle. She kept blushing and kept saying "shut up" to them.


	10. Chapter 10

_A Journey in a Different Time  
-Chapter 10-  
The Secret Behind the Power  
_  
"Here, Michelle! Your school uniform is dry!" Said Kagome. She handed Michelle her uniform and Michelle went behind a bush to change out of the miko clothes and into her uniform. Michelle was actually glad to get out of the miko clothes because she was getting so hot in there. When she finally got out, she stretched her arms in the air.

"It feels good to feel the cool air!" Said Michelle.

"Well, I'm sure you do want to look good for your new B-O-Y-F-R-I-E-N-D!"

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Sure...then how would you explain the kiss?" Asked Sango.

"Hey!" Michelle was blushing rapidly. "That's none of your business! If you want to know so badly, ask Natsuyo why he kissed me!"

"Hmm...I would like to know. I do want to get advice on how to kiss a girl!" Said Miroku.

"Don't even think about it, Miroku!" Sango warned him.

"Think about what?"

"You know what I mean!"

"Michelle, all I want to know is why you screamed this morning?" Asked Shippo.

"Um...you're too young to know!" Answered Michelle.

"Why do I always get treated like a little kid?"

"Because you are one!" Said Inuyasha.

Everybody laughed at that. Michelle and Inuyasha barely laughed because the thought of them laughing together was horrifying. So they decided not to laugh at all.

Back at Naraku's fortress, Kagura and Kanna was summoned to meet Naraku like always. Kagura hates the thought of meeting Naraku because he has her heart, and is afraid she would be punished and Naraku would just squeeze her heart again. She didn't want to feel that pain again in her chest.

Kanna is always like...calm and doesn't worry about anything of what Naraku is going to do to them. She didn't care...much.

When they came to the room where Naraku was, he looked at them one by one. And realized someone is missing.

"Where is the other one?" Asked Naraku.

"I'm right here...sir!" Someone came out of the shadows and stood next to Kagura and Kanna. He...bowed to him with his sword on the ground and stood back up to look at Naraku. "Anything you want us to do?"

"Natsuyo...where is Kohaku?"

"He's out to do the order you have given him," said Kagura.

"Mm..." Naraku looked at Natsuyo. "Well? Did you kill her?"

"I couldn't...there was...too much people around. If I killed her with them around, it would cause a...commotion. And I know you wouldn't want that."

"Still, you HAVE to kill her, or I'll kill you. You better do your job to get those shards back to me!"

"I understand..."

"Forget him! That woman, Michelle, can't even sense him coming! So why would you sent him but not me or Kanna. At least Kanna can't be sensed by her!" Said Kagura.

"I would send Kanna, Kagura. But I need a man for this...a human. Natsuyo is perfect for this because he is human and that Michelle can't sense his presence far nor near them," Naraku explained. "Kanna, could only take her soul, and I don't want her soul."

"It's like what you said before, Naraku! Kanna is the void, Michelle can't even sense her either! What if the man suddenly falls in love with this girl? It can cause trouble and he can turn against you!"

"Why would I turn against Naraku, Kagura? I don't want to lose my life the second time," said Natsuyo. "I would rather take the shards and live rather then die just like that!"

"You left something out. You forgot to say KILL her then take the shards and live! Something must be going on in that brain of yours!" Said Kagura.

"It doesn't matter. He knows what he needs to do. Now go, before other people give her their jewel shards!" Commanded Naraku.

"Yes..." Natsuyo turned his back against them and walked slowly out of the room with his sword in his hand. The truth was he didn't really want to kill Michelle, he would rather die then kill her.

When Naraku heard his footsteps faded in the darkness of his fortress, he stared at Kanna. "Follow him...make sure he does his job. Kagura, find Kikyo and ask her why she gave up the shard to the girl. Make sure you get the truth from her. And if you find Kohaku, tell him to come here before he revives the... Shichinin-tai." Said Naraku.

"Right away, Naraku..." said Kanna.

"We'll do our best," said Kagura.

Since all kinds of things were happening all over the place, they finally reached a village. The village where they dropped off Koharu when she was in deep trouble of the Young Lord. It was also the place when they first met Kanna, the void. When they saw the Shikon no Tama almost whole again.

"Well, we can relax for awhile!" Said Miroku. "I'll be back, I'm going to see if I can find Koharu." He started to head off a different direction away from the others.

"Let me come with you!" Said Sango. She started to run up to Miroku to catch up to him. Kagome and the others, just watched them leave.

Kagome sighed and was looking at both Inuyasha and Michelle. Shippo, who was on Kagome's shoulder, was doing the same. Kagome was thinking if she could leave Inuyasha and Michelle alone for them to settle their differences since they're not really getting along very well. It's best for them to be friends right here and now. But then she had an image in her head about them being really friendly.

That kind of thought was scary to Kagome...but it's worth a shot!

"I'll...go with them! Kirara! You stay here and make sure these two don't separate!" said Kagome.

"Meow!" Cried Kirara.

"Oy, wait-" Inuyasha started.

"See you later!" Kagome and Shippo smiled at them both and waved goodbye to catch up with Miroku and Sango. They prayed for them to at least be friendly to each other.

"Great! Now I'm stuck with dog-boy!" Said Michelle.

"Well, I hate to be stuck with you too! But it's not my fault she left Kirara on guard duty!" Said Inuyasha.

"You may talk tough, but deep inside you're a real softy! Ever since I came here, you haven't even bother to say my name even once! I have been here for a week, and still nothing from that big mouth of yours!"

"Who cares about you anyway? No one, that's who!"

Michelle opened her mouth to say something but closed it. He was right, not that much people cared about her. Especially Inuyasha...he counts big time! She turned her back against him and refuse to look at him. Kirara, who was next to Michelle's legs, started to rub them and started to purr like a real cat.

Michelle smiled and looked down at Kirara. "Come on Kirara. We both can sit next to that beautiful stream!"

"Meow!"

They both started to walk down the hill they were on and sat next to it to watch the stream. Michelle put her knees up to her chest and put her arms around it, as like she was hugging her knees.

"Does this mean I have to follow her? Nah...I would rather go to Kagome instead of her! Hey! Watch it!" Inuyasha punched a villager for him to get out of the way. The villager fell backwards and crashed in a hut. He heard a lady screamed. But he ignored all of that together and walk straight to where Kagome and the others are.

Michelle was now looking up the sky...it has been so long. While she was looking up, she started to pet Kirara.

"A week feels like a month. And a month feels like a year. I wonder what kind of excuse my mother told the school. Probably visiting my sick grandmother, that kind of excuse would let you out of school for a month or so. Kirara...why does Inuyasha hate me? I hate him...and yet, I want to at least be his friend.

"All he says is how I am so nosy and how that any of these things that are happening are none of my business. He really does hate me. All I want is to be friends with him, or at least for him to trust me. I already trust him but does he trust me? Heh...it's funny! I hate him and yet I also trust him. It's kind of weird, huh, Kirara?

"If we can't be friends, we can at least gain each other's trust. I want to at least accomplish that before I actually go home with Kagome. I just can't believe I can't go back home..."

( Just in case if you're wondering why they can't go back home through the well, is because the well is closed up because it was starting to get weak so it needed another thing for it to be closed up.)

Michelle looked back at the stream that was flowing by while she still pets Kirara. But she stopped and let her hand rest on her knees. But then she hugged her knees, pressing them against her chest. She then let her forehead rest on her arms. Not looking at the stream or anything else, just at her green skirt.

But then, she heard Kirara growling at something. Michelle ignored it because it could just be a dog she spotted. But it turns out, there was no dog. Michelle started to hear footsteps coming to her and didn't dare to look up at who's coming. She felt something landed on her right shoulder...a hand.

"Is this spot taken?" Said a voice. She looked up and saw someone that made her really happy. She gave Natsuyo a warm smile. He sat next to her and Kirara growled even more.

"Kirara! Stop that!" Commanded Michelle. She stopped and Michelle looked back at Natsuyo. "I thought...you were gone."

"I was...but then I promised you I'll come back, right?" Said Natsuyo.

"Yes...You know, I'm actually happy you came back. I was tired of hanging around Inuyasha!"

"I thought you liked him."

Michelle looked back at the stream, avoiding to look at Natsuyo. When she started to speak, it didn't sound like she was talking to him anymore. "No, he likes Kagome. So it turns out, Kagome likes him. It's nice to know someone has a crush on you and that you have a crush on that same person. I thought that happened with me."

"Really? Who was this guy?"

"I...really don't want to name him. He made a bad impression at first but in the end he turned out really nice. But he seems to like to joke around a lot. Because he acted like he really likes me, but near the end he said he was only joking about that. He...actually broke my heart and I was hurt pretty badly."

"Drat! She's talking about me! I knew I shouldn't told her I was only joking! Well...then that guy must be a real jerk if you really like him that much! What am I saying? I'm calling myself a jerk. Oh well, I probably deserve it after breaking her heart. At least now I know she likes me!"

"Yeah...a REAL jerk."

"Great! She really does think I am a REAL jerk!"

"But...the kiss he gave me. It felt wonderful...I wished it would've last forever but it didn't."

"It doesn't sound like she's talking to me about me. It sounds like she's talking to either Miroku or Inuyasha, about me. Does she even know she's talking to me about me?"

Michelle started to turn her head back at Natsuyo and her eyes were filled with shock. "What are you doing here?" Asked Michelle.

"I was here the whole time," answered Natsuyo.

"I thought I was talking to Miroku. I guess you heard about me talking about someone, huh?"

"Yeah...but don't worry. If I ever run into this guy, I'll make sure he doesn't break your heart again! That means I have to beat myself if I do it again!"

Michelle looked at him blankly. She couldn't believe of what she just heard. "He doesn't realize I was talking about him..."

"Come on..." He stood up and let his hand go out for her to grab it. "Let's go for a walk. I'm sure you'll be able to forgive him if you have a little talk with me."

He smiled at her. That made Michelle really happy and so grabbed his hand and he helped her to get back on her feet. That's when she knew, she hates him for being such a jerk and yet loves him because he is really kind hearted to her. She wonders right now...if...

"If we can be together...forever..." said Michelle.

Back to where the others are, Inuyasha just told Kagome about what he did after Michelle walked to the stream. Kagome was shocked...but not surprised. Of course, if Inuyasha was pissed off about something, he would find something to punch and sent it flying. But did he really have to do that when they were all just relaxing? Maybe Inuyasha shouldn't go into villages anymore. Yeah...it'll be the best for one person.

But then again...maybe not.

"You did what? How can you do that to a poor villager who was so innocent?" Said Kagome. "You had no right to do that! Why did you did that anyway!"

"I already told you! That guy was in my way!" Said Inuyasha.

"But you then said you heard a lady screamed! Doesn't that make you feel guilty at all?"

"Hmm...no!"

"Arrrgh! And why is that?"

"Because I don't even know that person!"

"That's it! Go back to that poor villager and apologize!"

"Why should I apologize!"

"Because you punched him in the face!"

"He deserved to be punched because he went into a lady's house!"

"That's because you punched him which caused him to crash in there! What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me! Something is wrong with that idiot!"

"Who is the idiot? You or the villager?"

"That pest!"

"Pest? If you're talking about Michelle, don't blame her! She has nothing to do with this!"

"Yes she does! She was the one who pissed me off before she left with Kirara to the stream!"

"Don't even dare blame her! It's your fault you can't control your temper!"

"I can to control it!"

"THAT'S IT! Leave before I say that word!"

"Fine! I'll leave!" Inuyasha put his hands on his hips and turned around. He was about to walk away but he stopped because of what he saw. He started to get angry and growled very loudly.

"OSUWARI!" The prayer beads around his neck glowed and forced Inuyasha to hit his face flat on the ground. She saw him got up and turned around to face her.

"What the heck was that for?"

"Didn't I tell you to leave? What were you doing anyway?"

"Staring at the those two." Inuyasha used his thumb to point behind him. Kagome looked at what Inuyasha was pointing at and saw Michelle walking with Natsuyo on a road. She saw Michelle blushing rapidly and Natsuyo laughing and smiling at her with his eyes closed. Kagome couldn't believe what she was seeing. She thought Michelle hated Natsuyo. "I hate it when she's like that!"

Kagome's eyes felled back down to Inuyasha's face. "Like what?"

"Happy lookin'!"

"What's wrong with her being happy here? She was really left out when she first came here."

"But haven't you thought of something? If she becomes happy here, she'll be too attached to this place and doesn't want to leave here ever again!"

Kagome just realized that too. Inuyasha is right...Kagome is too attached to this place and she doesn't want to leave here either. She actually loves it here. But the thing is Inuyasha wants Michelle to leave while he just wants Kagome to stay here with him. But what will happen once they complete the Shikon no Tama? Will the time warp be closed up forever? Will she able to see Inuyasha and the others ever again?

That's a question that is yet to be answered...

"You...don't want her to be happy?" Asked Kagome.

"I don't even want her to stay here! She doesn't even belong here! What can she do anyway? She claims she has been training to become a miko for a year, and she doesn't even have any miko powers to help us in battle. She's not really that helpful! She can only sense danger coming toward us! Ow!" Inuyasha smacked his face and looked at his palm to see what bit him. Myoga the Flea... "What do you want?"

Myoga became unflattened and stood up on Inuyasha's hand and crossed his arms. "I'm just here to give you some information, Inuyasha-sama!" Said Myoga. "You did say that girl can sense danger right?"

"Yeah...what of it?"

"It's actually kind of dangerous for her to have such power."

"What do you mean, Myoga?" Asked Kagome.

"If there is too much danger coming at her all at once, she becomes very weak and is unable to fight. Let's say if Naraku, Kagura, Kanna and some more people with negative energy comes to her all at once, she won't be able to move. If that danger stays put near her, she'll start to bleed and it could eventually kill her."

"Whoa...and I thought it was great for her to sense danger."

"It's the same with the Shikon jewel fragments. If the jewel fragments have negative energy in it, it can also cause a little bit. But if there is more then one jewel fragment with the one that has the negative energy, that energy can spread to the other jewel fragments with it. But you gotta make sure she doesn't put the jewel fragments in her."

"So, you're saying that, if Michelle put the two jewel fragments in her two of them will have the negative energy, right? But only one of them was from Naraku."

"Exactly, Naraku could've put negative energy in that and make sure she puts it in her body with the other fragments to kill her. That energy will just spread to the other jewel fragments in her body. So in other words, she's in danger all the time with herself. She could even die before you guys complete the Shikon no Tama. So if I were you guys, I would watch out for her before she makes that mistake."

"Right...Wait a minute! Myoga, where did you get this information!" Said Inuyasha.

"Oh? I got this from Kaede. I went to try to find you but Kaede said you left. She explained of what was going on and knew what to do. Kagome, have you heard her complained about feeling pain in her body at all?"

"No..."

"Maybe she's keeping that a secret from us." said Kagome.

"I just don't get it..." said Inuyasha.

"Get what?"

"Natsuyo... Me and Miroku know the reason why Natsuyo came to us last night. He actually works for Naraku-"

"Inuyasha-sama! You must kill him right now then!" Commanded Myoga.

"You didn't even let me finish! Anyway, Natsuyo told us last night he died once before but Naraku revived him. But when Naraku did that he told Natsuyo to find that pest and kill her to get the shards she has. But...he didn't. He only came to us to find that pest and warn her about Naraku. Natsuyo doesn't even want to kill anyone, but he had no choice if he wanted to live and to warn her."

"Should we...warn Michelle about him?" Asked Kagome.

"No...Natsuyo doesn't want any of us to tell her. He said he'll tell her at his own time. Maybe you should ask her if she sense any danger from him."

"I'll ask her...when the time is right."

They all looked at Michelle and Natsuyo who was laughing and smiling at each other. Natsuyo spotted Inuyasha and the others and grabbed Michelle's hand to walk to them. He said "Hello" to them and explained what they're talking about. Inuyasha and the others were trying to be nice for Natsuyo's sake.

Let's see what's happening to Miroku, Sango and Koharu. Koharu was excited to see Miroku again but that made Sango jealous. Fire always surrounded her when she sees Miroku hugging her.

(FAR away from the village.)

Kagura just caught up with Kikyo. Kagura was just staring at Kikyo with her fan in her hand, getting ready to attack any time soon just in case. Kikyo put a strong grip on her bow, getting ready to grab an arrow from her quiver behind her.

The wind was cool...

"What do you want?" Asked Kikyo.

"I'm just here to ask a simple question. Naraku wants to know why you gave that woman your jewel fragment," said Kagura.

"That kind of thing is none of your business."

"You either answer or face the wrath of my wind."

"If Naraku wants to know, then tell him he must ask this question in person or he doesn't get an answer at all." Kikyo turned around and started to walk away from Kagura. "Make sure you tell him that."

Kagura opened her fan and let her arm out to swing her fan. But she was stopped.

"Don't even think about it. You don't want to die by my arrow now, do you?" Said Kikyo.

Kagura didn't answer. She let her arm fall to her side and grabbed a feather from her hair and threw it in front of her. It transformed to a big feather for her to ride on. "Fine...next time, I'll surely attack you if Naraku wishes for that."

"I'll be waiting..."

Kagura jumped on her feather and flew away to leave Kikyo's sight. They couldn't even stand each other. The only thing she can't wait is for Naraku to give her the command to kill Kikyo. If that ever comes to hand...


	11. Chapter 11

_A Journey in a Different Time_

_-Chapter 11-_

_True Feelings, but Forgotten_

_She had to run with all her might. She needs to escape or she'll die. She has to escape from the Wind Sorceress, Kagura. How can Kagura get her now that she is running in the forest with the trees as her guard? Still, she can't cut them down with her blades if she wants to. All Michelle has to do is keep running so she can reach for the others. But they're too far away, how will she reach them in time? Kagura could kill her now if she wants to._

_Kagura was flying through the trees on her transformed feather, keeping her eyes open to make sure she gets the girl. How can a human run this fast? When Kagura saw a glimpse of brown ahead, Kagura opened her fan and stood straight on her feather. Kagura put her arm back and whispered: "Dance of Blades!" And swung her fan with blades coming out of it, chopping down the trees that were ahead of her._

_When Michelle heard those words, she quickly ducked out of the way, putting her hands on her head, closing her eyes real tight, praying that she would be alive when all of this is over. She felt the ground tremble as the trees fall to the ground, also making a loud sound that echoed through the forest. She did hear something flying to her...she was afraid of this now..._

_Michelle sat up and turned around, finding Kagura smiling down at her, with her fan all closed up. Michelle crawled backwards and her back landed against the tree. She was really scared, right now she wished for Inuyasha to come and save her. But then again, why would he save her? He doesn't really care about her so why should she care about him? Why is she even thinking about this now when she only has a few minutes to live?_

"_Well, well...looks like I caught a little rat running in the forest," said Kagura, coldly._

"_Who said I'm a rat?" Asked Michelle._

"_It's not time to answer that question...it's only time for you to die..."_

_Kagura opened her fan all the way and lifted it up above her head. Michelle's eyes widen as Kagura does it, then all kinds of things went through her mind. How much she wanted to do things better. She wanted to be more opened to others so they would accept her...more opened...instead of a closed heart person who doesn't want to show the true you..._

"_Inuyasha...I wish you knew how I felt...I actually liked you! As a crush! Please come...I don't want to die now...Kagome...I'm sorry, but Kagura is going to take the jewel shards...Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara...I'm going to miss you guys a lot...Natsuyo...**I LOVE YOU!** No!" _

"_Dance of Blades!" Michelle felt pain going all over her body. Blades creating scars on her face, legs, stomach, arms and cutting her in half..._

"_HELP ME!"_

"Michelle!"

"_I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"_

"Michelle! It's only me!"

Michelle gasped when she woke up, she was clutching her hand to her chest, trying to breathe and feel her heart beat. Was that real or a dream? She looked around the area she was at...the forest. The place where she died in the dream. Is it going to come true here? She then turned her head to her side and saw Miroku with a worried look on his face. She thought it was Kagome who woke her up. The thing was...she didn't really mean anything about the dream. She doesn't have a crush on Inuyasha...she likes Natsuyo...wait!

"Are you alright? We heard screaming when we all woke up. We thought a youkai was attacking you or something..." said Miroku.

"I'm fine...just an awful dream I don't want to think about now. I'm sorry if I woke you guys, lets go back to sleep," said Michelle.

"Michelle...it's already morning."

Michelle looked up at the trees and noticed the light coming through the trees. "Oh..."

"I'll tell the others you're alright. Once I come back, you better be wide awake for us to walk again."

Michelle nodded as Miroku ran back to the campsite. Michelle started to fold up the blanket that Kagome gave her to sleep with. She did had a little something to eat last night so she should put away those things too.

(Campsite)

"Hey, Kirara? Do you smell that?" Asked Inuyasha. Kirara started to sniff around and started to his a little. "Yup...could be either Naraku or Kagura. Hope it's Kagura...I'm tired of smelling her scent, mistaking that it's Naraku..."

"So it means..." whispered Shippo.

"Yup...going into battle again. When was the last time we battled Kagura again?"

"When Michelle came here..." said Kagome.

"Oh...right. That pest..."

"Inuyasha!"

"What?"

"Well, she's awake. Nothing is wrong, just a bad dream," said Miroku. He just came by...looking at everybody.

"Well, someone is coming alright..." said Sango.

"Who?"

"It's either Naraku or Kagura..."

"Oh no...I'll tell Michelle!"

"No!" Said Inuyasha with a deep voice. "You don't tell her...any of you, don't tell her."

"Why not?" Asked Shippo.

"I don't want her to know everything!"

"Alright...if you say so," said Miroku. He started to run back to where Michelle is. Leaving the others behind, and coming back with Michelle and started to walk off. As they get close to the exit of the forest, Michelle felt something triggered in her body. She knew something was coming...the thing is, she couldn't tell Kagome because she was all the way up in the front, walking next to Inuyasha. Since Sango was in front of her, she decided to tell her.

"(Hey...Sango, something is coming. I can feel it...)" whispered Michelle.

"(Look, whatever you do, stay next to Kirara. No matter what happens, okay?)" Said Sango.

"(Why?)"

"(Just do it...)"

Now she was confused...why stay next to Kirara? She's not use to Kirara yet because she's a neko youkai. Inuyasha is okay because he's just a hanyou, with half power. So she's not afraid of him...just afraid of his temper. When they finally reached out into the forest, a gust of wind blew against them, hard. Kagome's and Michelle's skirts almost lifted up, but it's a good thing they put their hands on the bottom of the skirt to keep it down.

Inuyasha looked up at the sky and noticed it got cloudy all of a sudden, but that's when white blades started to come out of the sky. "Everybody look out!" He shouted. Everybody crossed their arms over their faces and felt the ground tremble as the blades hit the ground, causing big chunks of rocks turning into little ones.

Inuyasha looked up once again, seeing Kagura on her feather in the mid air, smiling down at them.

"So...I guess I have finally caught you guys," said Kagura. She lifted up her fan and said, "Dance of Blades!"

One blade cut Miroku's shoulder, Sango's upper arm, and Kagome's leg. Shippo was hiding next to Kirara. Inuyasha got cut across his chest. A little bit of blood burst out after that. He went to his knees, putting his hand over his wound and then looking at it...the blood.

Michelle saw what Inuyasha was doing and then looked back up at Kagura, angrily. She then saw Kagura throwing another crowd of blades...one heading straight to Inuyasha. Suddenly, her legs started to move very fast, running towards Inuyasha. Hoping that the blade doesn't finish him off. ( Don't think she's stupid. She doesn't know how a hanyou body works yet.)

Inuyasha saw her coming to him and was about to say something. But instead, she pushed him aside, making him fall a few inches away, and letting the blade cut her left shin. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara were standing close together. Watching out for the blades and also Inuyasha and Michelle. She landed on her stomach, sitting up a little touching her left leg.

"You idiot!" Inuyasha shouted with anger.

"Now it's time for the finishing touch...Dragon Dance!" The wind started to get strong and rough, throwing all kinds of things around. Then all sorts of tornados appeared, hitting ground trying to lift things up. One hit near Inuyasha and Michelle and they lifted up from the ground. They flew in the air, disappearing into the sky that just became blue.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome shouted at the top of her lungs.

(In an another forest)

Inuyasha and Michelle were falling from the sky, landing in a stream going down. Michelle's right ankle hit the hard rock in the stream. Inuyasha saw his blood spreading out into the water. When he saw the current carrying Michelle up to him, he quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and swam up. Inuyasha tried his hardest to swim to shore; he was getting pissed of Michelle not helping. When Michelle knew he was getting pissed, Michelle tried to use her arm and her use leg.

When they got to shore, Inuyasha used his free hand to put on the ground. He crawled out, dragging Michelle on the ground and threw her away from him. He needed to take a breather. He hates to be wet.

"Ow! What was that for?" Said Michelle, angrily.

"I had to go on my knees to get some air at least!" Said Inuyasha, shouting.

"Doesn't mean you have to throw me on the ground!"

"Yes it does!"

"No it doesn't!" Inuyasha got up and looked at Michelle, who was on her bottom, looking up at Inuyasha. Inuyasha bend over so he can look at Michelle more closely and argue with her more.

"You wanna fight right here?"

"I don't care if we fight or not! That's your decision to make because you're getting on my nerves you damn dog!"

"Forget it! If Kagome see you all beat up she's going to blame me! Come on, let's go!"

Michelle tried to get up, but when she stepped on her foot, she fell to her knees. "Ouch..." Michelle whispered very quietly.

Inuyasha heard her complaint and turned around. "What now?" He asked her.

"My ankle...I can't walk..."

Inuyasha went to his knee; he used his index and middle finger and put it on her right ankle. He started to press into her skin; Michelle flinched and started to whine. He put his fingers off and looked at her. He felt her forehead as well.

"You sprained your ankle so it would get better tomorrow and you have a little fever., what did you do to your leg?" He asked her, with no serious tone.

"My ankle hit a rock when we landed in the stream."

"Whatever, bye!"

"Hey! You can't leave me here!" Inuyasha didn't move, he was clenching his teeth very angrily.

"Oh great, I don't want it to come to this!" He turned around, having his arms behind him with gaps between his arms and the sides.

"What?"

"Just hop on! It's easier to travel, if you travel on foot you'll slow the both of us down and you'll just hurt your ankle more. Now get on!"

Michelle didn't do anything except to put her legs in the gap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He stood up and started to walk in the bushes, trying to find a road to walk on so he can make it to the others. He can hear Michelle's breathing are getting heavy, she sounds really tired.

"You know...Inuyasha; the truth is I have been trying to be your friend from the start. Well, not really from the start but at least when I got use to the things. I have been trying to be your friend...but all you do is push me away..."

Is this really happening? Is she really saying all of this or is this the fever talking?

"I hate you...but also I want to be your friend...that's why I risked my life for you...I care for you Inuyasha..." She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. "I don't get why you hate me so much...when all I have been aiming for was to be your friend."

What is he suppose to do now? Should he tell her what he really thinks about all of this? Ah, what the heck! No problem! She probably won't remember all of this.

"The truth for me is...you are pretty damn annoying. Too nosy and weak, but you're useful sometimes. You're good for a laugh at times...I have words that can not be explained. But all I know is...that I care for you too...but..."

He stopped because he heard her snoring a little bit. She must be sleeping now. That fever must've tired her out and made her fall asleep. He was hoping she didn't hear all the things he said to her just now. He doesn't really want her to know but it felt right for some reason.

Ah! Who cares! She is so damn annoying!

(Kagome's group)

"What should we do now? Kagura just disappeared right after Inuyasha and Michelle flew away," said Kagome.

"I don't know, Kagome-_sama_. But...I'm sure whatever happens, Inuyasha will be there," said Miroku, who was trying to calm Kagome down.

"Yeah! Kagome, Inuyasha is a hanyou so he would watch over Michelle!" Said Shippo, happily.

"I'm not worried about Michelle..." said Kagome.

"Then what are you worried about?" Asked Sango.

"I'm more worried about Inuyasha...we all have seen how much he is so cruel to her. I'm afraid he might hurt himself...when he turns to his youkai form..."

"Oh...that...I forgot about that. He could hurt himself and die..."

Kagome started to think about the blood...the last time he turned to his youkai form. All the blood spilling to the ground. All the blood all over his claws and hands. Just thinking about it is starting to make her eyes real teary. Tears started to fall from her eyes and landing on the ground. She can't stop this time...

Sango realized what was wrong and decided to give her friend a comfort hug. Patting her back to try and calm her down. It's not Kagome's fault that this is all happening. It's no one's fault...

But...what will happen next? Right now...Sango hopes that Natsuyo will find them. She doesn't know why but she trusts Natsuyo, he may work for Naraku but...he's trust worthy and he doesn't like to kill the innocent. That's one thing she likes about Natsuyo. He is right for Michelle...

Where is he now? Where is Inuyasha and Michelle?

"Kagome-_chan_, it's okay. I'm sure everybody will be alright..." said Sango softly.

"I hope...hiccup! ...so!" Kagome cried even more. She didn't want to stop. All she has to do is release all the pain.


	12. Chapter 12

_A Journey in a Different Time_

_-Chapter 12-_

_No One Knows..._

Inuyasha continued walking through the bushes in the forest with Michelle on her back. It's getting dark soon, he was hoping he would find Kagome but it became dark, so he's going to have to create camp here. Now he wanders what is he going to eat tonight. Well, since he's alone with Michelle, he has to take care of her, in which he hates to do. He won't be able to get any sleep tonight though, he's going to have to stay up late and watch her. Staying up all night...if youkais come, she won't be able to fight with no arrows.

What the hell-! She can't do anything anyway! Inuyasha sent her gently on the ground, making sure not waking her so he won't fight with her once again. How is he going to go find something to eat when no one is watching her? If only she didn't defend him when that blade was coming at him, he would've find something to eat right now with no one there...He would rather be alone now with everything happening. He's been really pissed ever since Michelle came...even more pissed when she's happy with that guy Natsuyo!

She shouldn't be happy here or she'll be to attached to leave this place once and for all. He needs her to leave this place! So now tonight he can't eat, only watch the little pest. But he knows, he should make a fire at least...He can just break the sticks from the branches and break the little big ones! So he dropped them to the ground and tried to make a fire. He definitely won't have anything to eat tonight...

He was waiting for sundown so he can make the fire. Now the only defense he has is Tetsusaiga. Wait...how do you make fire again?

All of sudden, Inuyasha turned around, he thought he heard something in the bushes. He turned back to face the sticks again...but then he turned around cause he heard it again. What is it? A youkai? Nah...there's no scent of a youkai that close. Smells like...human? That's when he saw someone came out of the bushes.

"Hey, Inuyasha!"

"Oh no..." He said after he saw Natsuyo called his name. "What the hell do you want, huh?"

"I was only walking around to look for food," Natsuyo answered.

"Really? Then can you stay here while I go fetch some food?"

Natsuyo looked behind Inuyasha and had a smile on his face. He turned his attention back to Inuyasha. "Sure! I would love to!" The smile became bigger. Inuyasha raised his right eye brow at him.

"O...kay...whatever! But if I see any clothes off of her, I'll tell her you'd try to have it with her."

"Don't worry! I won't do a thing to her! Just only look at her!"

"Pervert..."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind. I'll be back in a few minutes!" Inuyasha started to run and then jumped up in a tree. Now he's jumping from branch to branch, maybe to find a lake or a river to catch some fish. Or crab at least, yeah that would be good.

(Where Inuyasha left them)

After Inuyasha left, Natsuyo looked at Michelle for a second. Now he wanders why she's sleeping. He walked over to her slowly and quietly, bending down, putting his hand on her forehead. Yup, it's a fever. He then walked around Michelle's body, standing behind her. Then he sat on the floor, then lying next to her. Putting his elbow on the ground, letting his chin rest in the palm of his hand. Then he put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

He started to smell her hair...wait...it kind of stinks. Since when was the last time she took a bath? A couple of days ago, maybe? But who cares, all that matters is he likes her a lot, right? But does she like him the same way he likes her? Probably, she was flirting a little bit with him. He was doing a lot of flirting, but she probably was blind to see all of that. Her hair doesn't smell good, but her scent smells great...

At that time, he closed his eyes, trying to imagine how he's going to tell her the truth. And how he's going to tell her how he truly feels. But, does she like Inuyasha? Does she like Inuyasha even though he treats her so bad? Natsuyo somehow has a feeling she does. But...now he's thinking, what would happen if his twin brother were here. Probably kill Michelle...when he first sees her.

But no matter what happens, if his twin brother does try to kill her, he will protect her will all his life. He's more like in love with Michelle.

(River)

"Alright! Six fishes should be enough for tonight," said Inuyasha. He put his hand in his hair, grabbing one piece of hair and pulled it off of his head. He then used his long piece of silver hair to tie the fish together and carry it back to where Michelle and Natsuyo are. As soon as he knew they were nice and tight, he jumped on one of the branches and jumped to another one to get to campsite.

About like ten minutes later, he jumped off a branch and landed on the ground. He looked ahead of him, and let out a sigh and a disgusted look on his face.

"At least he didn't start to strip her..." He whispered to himself. He then looked around him and found a rock big enough to maybe smash or crack something. He picked it up and aimed carefully, he stretched it out back and then threw it at Natsuyo's arm that was around Michelle's waist. Natsuyo made a little squeak sound and pulled his arm away from her waist and sat up. He started to rub it after that.

"Idiot, we're both on guard duty tonight," said Inuyasha.

"Really? Can't I just sleep with her?"

Inuyasha stared at him. "No, baka!"

"Okay, okay!"

"You make the fire."

"Alright!"

(Kagome's group)

"Miroku-_sama_! What are you thinking?" Asked Kagome. Miroku was sitting on a bolder, stroking his chin, and thinking about something.

"Not sure...just thinking on what you told me about Michelle's power," said Miroku.

"Like...?"

"Well, Inuyasha has a little bit of negative energy, his youkai form. So Michelle might bleed in a couple of days if Inuyasha stays too close to her."

"You could be right."

"Houshi-_sama_!" Sango called him.

"Yes?" Asked Miroku.

"Shouldn't we be looking for them now?"

"It's kind of late for that now. We can start looking first thing in the morning."

"But it would be too early..." complained Shippo.

"I know, Shippo, but a ban of youkais might come and attack them. I don't think Inuyasha can handle all of the youkais by himself because Michelle has nothing to equip herself with."

"That's true," said Kagome weakly.

Miroku stood up. "We should get to sleep early tonight. That way we can get up early enough to look for them."

"I agree! We're going to sleep early tonight!" Said Shippo. "I want more sleep anyway!"

(Back to Inuyasha and the others, late night)

"What did you say?" Inuyasha questioned Natsuyo after of what he told him.

"Naraku is going to revive the _Shichinin-tai_; it's a group of seven people. Natural human killers, they're all human. There use to be an eighth member but he left when he was young," explained Natsuyo.

"Who's the eighth member?"

"His name is Yokotsu; all of the members of the _Shichinin-tai_ have 'kotsu' at the end of each name. But this guy, he changed it when he was ten, that's when he left the group."

"So what about this Yokotsu guy? Is he still alive?"

"No, he's dead."

"How?"

"No clue."

"Is there anything I should know about him?"

"Don't know much about him. All I heard is Naraku reviving the _Shichinin-tai _using Kohaku. I don't know what else they're planning, except to kill you guys and Michelle."

"Trying to get the jewel shards huh?"

"Yeah."

"We have I think four of them, two with Kagome and the other two with that pest!"

"Don't call her that!"

"Oh shut up, pervert!"

Natsuyo ignored Inuyasha for a second and looked at the last two fishes over the fire. He then looked back at Inuyasha. "Should we save them for Michelle?"

"No, I should eat them!"

"No, you shouldn't!"

"Fine...whatever!"

It was silent for a few minutes. Until Inuyasha wanted to question Natsuyo more. "Are you sure you don't know anything about this Yokotsu person?"

"Yes! I do!"

"Who are the other seven?"

"Bankotsu is the leader, Jakotsu, Kyokotsu, Mukotsu, Renkotsu, Suikotsu, and Ginkotsu the machine. Kyokotsu is the biggest guy in the group. Jakotsu is...a homosexual guy..."

"You didn't have to tell me that!"

"Anyway-Mukotsu uses gas to kill people, poison gas; Suikotsu...is like a doctor...I think...Renkotsu is the guy who breathes fire and uses fire nets."

"Nice detail..."

"Uh...thanks?"

"Yeah, whatever! But I think of this one thing, Yokotsu is still alive, and I know that!"

"How would you know, Inuyasha? You don't even know what he looks like!"

"So! It's just a feeling okay!"

"Alright... you don't have to yell you know."

"Let's just stick to guard duty"

( I know not much happening there but oh well!)

(Next morning)

When Natsuyo woke up, he started to stretch his arms. He accidentally fell asleep near the fire. Looks like Inuyasha was doing guard duty last night. After stretching the arms, he stretched his legs and then his whole body. He looked over at Inuyasha and notice he has his eyes closed.

"Inuyasha...?"

"I'm awake! I'm just closing my eyes and started to concentrate on something!" Said Inuyasha.

"Okay...I'll wake up-"

"No! I'll wake her up!"

Inuyasha got up slowly; he must be really tired because he didn't get any sleep last night. He also walked slowly to where Michelle was sleeping; he put his hand on her shoulder and started to shake her. Michelle let out a little moan and opened her eyes slowly. She lift her hand up to rub her eyes and managed to say, "Good morning..." and tried to sat up. Inuyasha put his hand on her forehead to make sure if she still has a fever or not.

"Looks like it went away..." he said weakly.

"Really? I thought it would last awhile," Said Michelle.

"Yeah..." Inuyasha put his index and middle finger on her ankle again, starting to push into her skin. She didn't flinch yet, but when he pressed harder, she made a little gasp and flinched. Inuyasha lifted his fingers off her ankle and turned around, his hands behind his back again. "Hop on..."

"What?"

"Your ankle needs a little more time to heal up. So come on, hop on!"

"Wait! Let her go on my back!" Said Natsuyo out of nowhere.

Michelle gasped and was surprised when she heard his voice. But she pretended she didn't hear him and slowly went on to Inuyasha's back. When he stood up, he started to walk ahead.

"Natsuyo, you better lead the way," commanded Inuyasha.

"Sure thing!" After Natsuyo went a few steps ahead of Inuyasha, Michelle moved her head close to the side of Inuyasha's face. She started to whisper to him.

"(Hey...when did he come?)" She asked him.

"(Some time yesterday evening when you were asleep.)" He answered her.

"(Why didn't you wake me up?)"

"(If I did woke you up yesterday, you would still have that fever.)"

"(Idiot! You should've known to wake me up!)"

"(I don't care! Deal with it, pest!)"

(Kagome's group.)

"Miroku-_sama_, are we going to head off now?" Kagome asked him when he came back from the river.

"Yes, very soon when Sango and Shippo are done washing their face," he answered her.

"That's good, we need to find them soon. I have a feeling that maybe Naraku will attack them soon..."

"Or a pack of youkais..."

"Please do not mention that..."

"Sure thing, Kagome-_sama_..."

Kagome and Miroku started to wait for Sango and Shippo. A few minutes later, they came walking their way, and they started to head off. Hopefully a youkai didn't attack them while they were sleeping.

(Inuyasha's group)

Michelle suddenly felt something triggered in her body again. Like waves moving in her...she's feeling pain. ( Just for you to know, every time she senses danger coming, she feels a slight pain in her...if there's a lot of negative energy coming at once, like Myoga said, she'll be in a whole lot of pain, bursting out with blood.) She moved her mouth close to Inuyasha's ear, so she can whisper something to him again as she did before. But when she spoke, she spoke very weakly.

"Inuyasha...coming..." she said silently. She was too weak to say anymore.

Inuyasha stopped and called to Natsuyo for him to stop. When Natsuyo heard Inuyasha, he stopped and turned around and looked at Inuyasha. Inuyasha turned his head a little, for his right ear to hear more of what Michelle was trying to say.

"What did you say?" Asked Inuyasha.

"Coming...youkais..." she tried to say again.

"Hmm...I guess we have to prepare for battle then," said Natsuyo with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah...let's get to it," said Inuyasha.

"Wait!"

"Now what?" He turned his head for it to face Natsuyo.

"We can't battle if Michelle is on your back. You won't be able to fight."

"That depends if the pest's ankle is healed up, moron." He turned his attention back to Michelle. "Can you walk now?"

"I...think so," she answered slowly.

"Don't tell me you have a fever again!"

"I don't..." She doesn't want to tell him what's really wrong. "I'm just a little tired."

"Alright..." Inuyasha went to his knees so Michelle can just get off him of him instead off jumping off. When Michelle got off, she tapped her end of her foot a few times on the ground, making sure she doesn't feel any pain in her ankle. She looked down and smiled, she then lift her head up to smile at Inuyasha and Natsuyo. But she felt...kind of weird when she smiled at Inuyasha. He didn't smile back at her; he just made a "Humph!" sound and turned his position to face on ahead so he can lead the way. Natsuyo on the other hand, smiled back (of course), and followed Inuyasha.

Michelle ran up to them so she won't get left behind. She walked in between Inuyasha and Natsuyo, Inuyasha is in front, Natsuyo is guarding the back and Michelle is in the middle. For some reason Michelle feels safe in the middle. But all of a sudden, Michelle gasped and grasped onto her chest, feeling pain right there. Inuyasha's ears perked up, he heard her, but didn't bother to ask what was wrong with her. He then started to think what Myoga was saying the last time they saw him. The information he gave to him and Kagome.

"_It's actually kind of dangerous for her to have that power." "She'll feel a slight pain in her body if something evil comes." "She becomes weak and unable to fight if too much negative energy comes by. She'll start to bleed and it could eventually kill her." _

Maybe he's right about what he said. She is starting to feel a little pain, but doesn't it start to spread more if more negative energy...? Wait! They're not walking away from the youkais! They're heading straight for it!

Inuyasha suddenly stopped and looked around, trying to sniff out the youkais. He then felt something bumped into him, and then another thing bumped into him and he fell flat on his on the ground.

"What the hell-!"

"Sorry, Inuyasha! I didn't know that you stopped so I bumped into you, and I think Natsuyo did the same thing," said Michelle very quickly.

Inuyasha lifted his face from the dirt and stood up quickly. He quickly brushed off the dirt that was on his kimono and quickly looked ahead. Ahead of him was really dark, even though it's day, it still looks dark deep within. Are they going in or out of the forest?

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Asked Natsuyo quietly.

"Youkais are ahead of his..." he answered him silently.

Michelle gasped. _'That's why the pain is getting stronger!'_

Natsuyo stepped past Michelle and stood next to Inuyasha. "Do you think we should head back?"

"No..." He answered. "I think it's a little too late for that now, the youkais must've surrounded us by now."

"So we went the wrong way?" Michelle questioned him.

"No, we were going the right way because I smelt Kagome's sense this way, but it has been covered by these youkais."

"How many do you think there are here?" Asked Natsuyo.

"I have no idea."

Michelle gulped loudly. "Then...what do you suggest we do?" She asked him nervously.

Inuyasha didn't answer her. He just stared ahead along with Natsuyo, hearing nothing but silence. Michelle's spine started to shiver. She felt the pain spreading her body more. It must be coming closer.

"Look there..." Inuyasha said coldly as he lifted his hand to point ahead. Michelle and Natsuyo focused on the direction Inuyasha was pointing at, so cold and dark. There were first two red dots that appeared in the dark. Then two more red dots appeared. "Youkais..."

"What am I going to do?" Michelle started to worry. "I don't have anything to defend myself with..."

"Just stick close to the both of us," said Natsuyo.

"No, Natsuyo...you stay close to Michelle, I'll hold them off while you guys go search for Kagome and the others. Once the road is clear, Natsuyo, you take her and start to run ahead and find everybody else."

"But-!" Michelle started.

"Look, pest! You either go or get yourself killed once the road is clear."

"Inuyasha...you'll die..."

"I'm a hanyou; I can't die by these youkais. I don't die that easily."

Natsuyo grabbed her elbow, she faced him. "Michelle, just listen to him. He must know what he's doing," said Natsuyo firmly.

"But..."

"No butt's! If you don't leave with Natsuyo I'll kill you!" Inuyasha shouted. Michelle flinched at the tone of his voice. What was Inuyasha trying to do? Protect her so she can be safe or something else? Does he care about her a little bit?

Michelle faced down, a black aura covering her eyes. "Alright..." she whispered.

Natsuyo looked at her, not a smile nor a frown on his face. Just a face like Sesshomaru...Natsuyo looked at Inuyasha, he looked back, and he knew what to do.

'_I'll watch over her for you, Inuyasha...you know Kagome will be worried and you entrusted me to take her back to the others. You know...Michelle won't survive this battle alive...'_

Inuyasha turned to face the group of red-eyed youkais...As he took out Tetsusaiga, it transformed into its true form, getting ready for battle. All Inuyasha had to do is clear the path for Michelle and Natsuyo to escape...

(Kagome's group)

'_Strange...a sudden change of the wing...' _Miroku stopped in his tracks and looked side to side and then behind him. _'Are they...'_

"Houshi-_sama?_" Sango called.

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?"

"A sudden change of the wind..." Miroku lift up his staff and pointed it in one direction where the trees were gathered up together...a forest... "I feel youkais energy there..."

"Maybe..." Sango was guessing.

"That's what I'm thinking. Maybe they're there."

"Should we go in there?" Asked Shippo curiously.

"Yeah, maybe."

"I can't wait any longer! I have to go through there no matter what! At least we'll be covering more ground that way!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Kagome-_sama_, I-!" Miroku was interrupted by a scream, from a young lady. Birds flew out of the trees and started to fly away from the area. Something must've happened in there. Everybody stared silently in the dark forest. Shippo was sweating and gulping, Kagome had a little bit of fear in her and hope, it sounded a lot like...

"AH!"

"What is it, Kagome?" Asked Shippo.

"I recognize that scream!"

"I think we all do. Let's go!" Miroku commanded them.

(Inuyasha's group once again!) ( Man this is a long chapter! sighs Need to finish!)

Michelle screamed at the top of her lungs when a youkai bit her forearm. The teeth was digging deep into her skin that her eyes started to get teary, tiny tears already rolling down her face of pain. Natsuyo quickly swung his sword around and chopped the youkai in half. Four red marks were on her sleeve, red marks which are blood.

"Michelle, get ready to run, okay?" Natsuyo warned her.

"But-!"

"Michelle! We agreed on this earlier, we HAVE to leave."

'_But we can't just leave him here, can we?'_

'_Since the wind change the kaze no kizu will form!' _Inuyasha grabbed hold of Tetsusaiga, waiting for it to power up. As soon as Inuyasha felt it, he lift Tetsusaiga in the air...

(Kagome's group once again.)

"**_KAZE NO KIZU!"_**

"Did you guys hear that?" Kagome said as she stopped in her tracks.

"Yeah, I heard it...They're really close by," said Sango quietly.

Then they started to hear something in the bushes. Lots of rustling sounds coming from it. They all stood still, feeling the spine shiver up to their neck, waiting for something to come out to either attack them or stop when they're out of breath. But it depends on who is behind the bushes. Shippo was hiding behind one of Kagome's legs, Kirara was on Sango's shoulder, growling and hissing at whatever is coming.

Then, they saw two objects jumped out from the bushes into the open. They were both on their knees, huffing and puffing, trying to gather up air.

"Michelle! Natsuyo! Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asked suddenly without even thinking for the others sake.

"He...told us...to go on...ahead..." said Michelle weakly.

"He's still there...fighting the youkais," Natsuyo had said after Michelle.

"Why did you guys leave him there?" Asked Miroku.

"He wouldn't let us stay, despite the fact I'm armless, he told Natsuyo to run with me so he can kill them all," Michelle explained to them, as she stood up straight with Natsuyo by her side. "He wouldn't let Natsuyo stay and fight because I'm armless and can't defend myself. I told him that we should all stay together, but he kept on fussing that I and Natsuyo should go on ahead and look for you guys."

Natsuyo put his hand on her shoulder; she turned to him and looked into his eyes. "Michelle, you really didn't have to explain the whole thing, they need to go back and help Inuyasha," said Natsuyo.

"Should we go back and help them too?"

"If we do, I think Inuyasha will just get frustrated and tell us to run away. So it's best just to let them help Inuyasha for the time being."

"It's probably best for you guys to stay here or run out of here anyway," said Sango. "You guys need to get away from here."

"I'll be her protector!" Said Natsuyo happily.

"We know, Natsuyo, we know." Said Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippo all together. Michelle was really confused. She first look at Natsuyo who had his eyes closed, smiling to himself; then back at Kagome and the others, but instead they had their eyes closed with frowns and their arms crossed over their chest, nodding to themselves.

"Wha...?" Michelle was perplexed.

"Never mind that, Michelle, we better get going," said Natsuyo happily once again. He took her hand and squeezed it tight, and started to run ahead. Michelle was taken by surprised cause her legs just jolt into running with Natsuyo. Why couldn't they took a break for a little bit longer?

Back to Kagome and the group, they were waiting until Natsuyo and Michelle to be out of sight. Then they heard something shout out something, from the direction Michelle and Natsuyo came from.

"Dammit! They just keep on coming!"

"Sounds like our little inu needs some help with the youkais," said Miroku.

They all uncrossed their arms and started to run in the direction of Inuyasha's shouting. And it's about time that they found them! But do they have to go into battle right away?

"These damn youkais are a pain-in-the-butt!"

Guess so...

But what happened between the three of them?


	13. Chapter 13

_A Journey in a Different Time_

_-Chapter 13-_

_This Guy is..._

After Natsuyo and Michelle ran out of the forest, they saw a boulder, they walked to it and climbed up and sat on it. Michelle was breathing in and out to catch her breath. Clutching onto her shirt, making sure her breathing was fine. Natsuyo was leaning back on the boulder, looking up at the sky, thinking of all kinds of things, mostly, Michelle of course.

He turned his head to face her, she was still breathing in and out. He smiled and lifts his hand up behind her, rubbed her back softly and firmly, and then it moved up her back to the end of her hair. He runs his fingers through her light brown hair, but it moved, Natsuyo looked up at Michelle and notice she was looking at him with curious look on her face.

"What are you doing?" Michelle asked him.

"Um, nothing really," Natsuyo answered with a little smile on his face. He put his hand down and looked back up the sky.

Michelle was still staring at Natsuyo; she looked at the way he was looking up at the sky, both hands sitting on the boulder behind him, his head back all the way to look up at the sky. She smiled and blushed a little; she crunched her knees to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees. She was now thinking on how they were fighting the youkais.

"Hey, Michelle..."

She lifts her head up and looked at Natsuyo. "Y-Yes?"

"That guy you mentioned a couple days ago that you said was a real jerk, who was he?"

Michelle couldn't believe it; she thought he would figure that out by now. Is it just her or is he really stupid? She was clenching her fist quietly, making sure Natsuyo doesn't see it. She just wish to knock him right out. But she stopped clenching her fist when she felt something going up her shirt from the back. She looked over at Natsuyo and saw his arm behind her. She turned her head back to look behind her and saw the hand moving up more of her back.

She was clenching her fists again, that it created a couple of veins on her head. She lifted her hand high up in the air and smacked his hard, hard enough for him to fall off the boulder.

She heard movement on the ground and heard Natsuyo speaking.

"What did I do?" He asked.

"You were being a _jerk_," she explained to him.

"But I didn't do anything." He tried to speak innocently.

"Liar, your hand was on my back, what were you trying to do?"

"Uh..." Natsuyo rubbed the back of his head. "I, uh...I knew your back was kind of cold so I used my hand to rub it for you."

Michelle looked down at him from the top of the boulder, glaring down at him also. _"Liar..."_

"Alright, Michelle! I'll be back up-!"

"Don't even THINK about coming up here, if you come up here, I swear I'll rip the skin off you and burn in it hell!"

Natsuyo eyes widen and smiled, still rubbing the back of his head. _'Tough girl she is...heh heh...I like that in a woman.' _

So, Natsuyo sat down on the ground, crossing his legs and his arms over his chest. He smirked...knowing how strong she is physically, and maybe emotionally. He started to open his mouth but before he could say anything, he heard: "AND DON'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING! NOT A WORD!"

He smiled. _'Yup, a strong woman she is.' _

'_That baka better not come up here. If he does, I'll kill every inch of life in him!' _Michelle was clenching her fists on her knees again. But she knew she needed to calm down, so she took a deep breath and breathed out. She lay down on the boulder, looking at the sky, trying to calm herself down.

'_Why does this all happen to me? I mean...school like tortures me of hell! I had NO single friend. But...Kagome Higurashi, I have seen her couple of times, but never talked to her. She congratulates me when I scored the last point in volleyball. That was it; I didn't say anything to her though. I must've been afraid to speak, afraid to make a friend. If I said something to her, maybe...I wouldn't feel so much pain in my heart, and think that no one cares for me. Inuyasha just makes things worse...he hates me. So what's the point on trying to be friends with Inuyasha? I should just give up...'_

"_You're good for a laugh sometimes..." "I have words that can not be explained..." "I care about you too...but..." _

'_Those words of what he said to me...did he really mean them? If he didn't, then he shouldn't have said anything at all! I believed him...but...it seems to me that, he's not telling the truth. I know I was...Why can't he be a little friendlier with me? But he's the type of guy that can't do that.'_

"_DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PROBLEMS YOU CAUSED, YOU WENCH?" "Look, pest!" "You're so damn annoying!"_

'_I know he means all of that...Hell...I'll just continue to be rough on him and he can do the same, that way, Kagome and the others will not notice what happened. I don't want them to notice.'_

"_Who cares about you? No one! That's who!"_

'_How can I tell if he is...trying to be nice or something? Should I runaway from them or stay put and get tortured?'_

Down at the bottom of the boulder, Natsuyo was wondering why Michelle is so silent. He thought she would be talking to herself or started to scream or laugh out loud. He wasn't sure if he should climb up and check on her or just stay put where he is now and won't get hurt or yelled at?

He decided to climb the boulder. It was bumpy so it was a little easy to climb to the top. When he got to the top, he saw Michelle taking her shoe off, and threw it at his head! He fell backwards and landed on his back, aching out in pain, Michelle's shoe on his face. Michelle looked down from the boulder.

"I _thought_ I told you not to come back up here! Now look what you did! You made me throw my shoe at you and land it on the floor," said Michelle.

Natsuyo slowly got up, making sure his back doesn't hurt more because now it's in real pain; she really hurt them physically that time. His hand was on his lower back, trying to straighten it, and then he bends down to pick up Michelle's shoe and looked up at the boulder.

"Do you want me to come back up and give you your shoe back?"

"NO! I'll come down...I think..."

"What do you mean? I don't bite, remember?"

"I'm still not sure if I should get down, because I might fall and you might see under my skirt and turn red."

"I promise, on the bottom of my heart, I won't touch or feel anything. Just jump down and I'll catch, I won't turn red, come on."

What was he trying to do? Was he thinking of to use his crummy hands on her body? He's like Miroku, but in a way he's different then him. Probably much more different. "Alright...I'll be right there."

Natsuyo smiled, Michelle wasn't sure if that was a good or bad smile. She first stepped back a little...then ran a bit and jumped off the boulder. Michelle used her hands to press the back part of her skirt against her thighs so Natsuyo won't see it.

Natsuyo first put the shoe down on the ground and then jumped up and caught her in his arms, one arm around her back and one arm under her legs. He landed back down on the ground on his feet and stood up straight. He put her down on the ground, and picked up her shoe, he grabbed her foot at the end, and put it back on her feet. Michelle made a little gasp and blushed as he put her shoe back on her foot.

"Sorry..."

"Hey, there's no need to apologize, I understand you're in a lot of stress, but it's not good. You need to find a way to relax your mind and let the stress out. I know you wanted to stay and fight with Inuyasha, but the thing is you can have what you want all the time, people just seem not to get that very well."

"What do you want?"

There was silence; a black aura was covering his eyes when he was looking down at her feet. But when he lifts his head up, the sunlight revealed his blue eyes and she looked closely at him.

"Freedom..."

"From what?"

Another silence occurred.

"I can't really say yet. I want freedom, but I know I can't have that just because I want it. The only way for me to get what I want, is to earn it. What do you want?"

"Friends...love...to escape from loneliness..."

"You don't see it, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have friends: Kagome and the others-!"

"I'm not sure if Inuyasha counts..."

"Anyway, you have love: from God and your family-!"

"I don't talk with my family; I hardly do anything with them."

"And you're not alone...you have me..."

Michelle looked at his blue eyes, so nice and mysterious but full of...happiness somehow. Those eyes remind of her this one guy at her school. She can't remember his name, but he has the same color eyes and the same color of hair as Natsuyo. Could he be...the reincarnation of Natsuyo? Nah...no way...but...it could be.

"Natsuyo..."

"Hm?" He said when he looked up at her.

Michelle shook her head. "Never mind..."

Natsuyo lifted his head up at her face, his lips close to hers. "Don't worry, Michelle..." He whispered into her ear. "I'll protect you..." He then kissed her cheek and stood up, whipping his butt from the dust. She looked at him, blushing when he kissed her cheek, but some how...it drew pain inside her. Is something wrong with Natsuyo or is it...

(Inuyasha and the others in battle!)

Kagome aimed her arrow at one of the youkais heading to Inuyasha, she let go of the end of it, letting the arrow hit straight through the youkais' body, in half. It was the youkai that Inuyasha was about to attack, but stopped when Kagome's arrow went through him. Sango jumped on Kirara's back as soon as it transformed, grabbing onto her boomerang tight.

"Hiraikotsu!" And she threw it at the youkais surrounding Miroku, and returning back to her. Then, Miroku removed the prayer beads on his right hand and aimed the palm of his hand at the remains of the youkais.

"Kazaana!" The black hole in his right hand sucked up the youkais carcasses and quickly put the prayer beads back onto his right hand. _'Strange...usually it takes us awhile to destroy them, and then Kagura comes...why this is different?' _

"Is that all the youkais?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Probably, but it's strange, there use to be more."

"Maybe...it's a trap..." Sango was trying to guess. They were all thinking of how it can be a trap. All of them were fighting the youkais, Michelle and Natsuyo escaped...so...

"Uh...guys? Do you think this was to lead us here and...?" Shippo was trying to find the word.

"And make us stay here to fight while..." Miroku was helping him out.

"...The other youkais attack..." Inuyasha finished it. They all gasped and notice a mistake they made. "They're going to attack the both of them!"

"We better get back right away!" Inuyasha jumped off the ground to a branch and started to jump from branch to branch on out of the woods.

(Michelle's group...kind of)

"Dammit...Michelle, you're going to have to stay behind me! ...Michelle?" He turned his head behind him, knowing that the youkais are in front of him and Michelle. She found Michelle lying on the ground on her back. What happened to her? Did she past out? She must've, Bankotsu put his sword down and put an arm around Michelle's back. "Michelle, this is no time for sleep, wake up!"

He shook her a little, trying to get her too conscious so she can run instead of just laying here. How is he going to fight like this? He wanted to slap her but he didn't want to hurt her in any way. But he had to...He first slapped her right cheek, no response, he smacked her left cheek, still no response, she's out cold.

"Dammit! Why did you have to pass out right now?" Natsuyo couldn't believe this had to happen now. He can't carry her to safety, that's just going to kill him when the youkais are going to try and kill him. The only thing he can do is fight with Michelle in his arms, if he can, and try to kill them all until Inuyasha and everybody else gets there. He knows it's too risky to run.

"Man! Come on, Michelle! Wake up!" He shook her hard again, still, she didn't even move, she just continued to breathing and sleeping. **_"Dammit!"_** He held Michelle close to him, her chest against his, her head tucked under his chin, hold one hand with his sword, Yorozo. He tighten his grip on the handle, even though he's in a bad position to fight, he needs to at least defend himself against these youkais.

'_I don't stand a chance against them!'_ Natsuyo turned his head to Michelle and pulled her closer. _'What happen to you anyway? Were you dizzy? I don't think so...but she hasn't eaten yet...it couldn't be that, it must be something else. Oh, why did you have to pass out?'_

He turned his attention back to the youkais, he realized one of them was going to attack him, a serpent youkai, ten feet long with venom in it's mouth was about to attack him. He quickly pulled his sword in front of him to block its teeth, but before the serpent can even bite Yorozo, he saw Inuyasha coming out of nowhere and used Tetsusaiga to cut him in half.

Inuyasha landed on the ground, and turned to Natsuyo. "What happened?" He asked him.

"I don't know! She just past out when the youkais came!" Natsuyo answered him. "I can't wake her up! I even tried to slap her and there's still no response!"

'_What is wrong with her?' _Inuyasha thought. Inuyasha quickly swung his sword up, chopping up another youkai that was heading to his direction. "Hello!" Inuyasha shouted over to Natsuyo, who was still holding Michelle in his arm. "Aren't you going to help out?"

"I can't help out if I have Michelle in my arm!"

"Then get Sango or Kagome to watch over her!"

Kagome came with Sango, who were on Kirara's back, Shippo on Kagome's shoulder. Miroku was running on the ground to the battle field. Kirara landed on the ground and Kagome jumped off and ran over to Natsuyo and Michelle.

"Natsuyo! Go help Inuyasha while I look after Michelle," Kagome commanded him.

"But-!"

"No buts! You go and help him!"

Natsuyo was frightened by Kagome, he just nodded slowly and stood up and ran next to Inuyasha. Inuyasha turned his attention to Natsuyo, eyes landing on his sword, the end pointing at the ground.

"Nice sword..." Inuyasha complimented.

"Thanks, Yorozo will definitely help me against these youkais," said Natsuyo.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because of this..."

Inuyasha saw Yorozo started to turn clear like ice, Inuyasha felt the cold aura coming from it. Natsuyo used his other hand to grab a hold of the handle and lift it up, then he started to charge at the youkais, all piled in one pile, getting ready to attack all at once to Natsuyo. The youkais started to roam on the ground, heading to Natsuyo.

Natsuyo first jumped up in the air, lifting Yorozo above his head and sliced in the middle of the pile of the youkais.

"Keh...is that all he can do?" Inuyasha asked himself. But Inuyasha was surprised on what happened next, the youkais started to turn into icicles, frozen solid a little above the ground. Natsuyo landed on the ground behind the frozen youkais, he took a step backwards to the youkais and swings his sword behind him, breaking the frozen bodies of the youkais.

Pieces of ice blasted when Natsuyo destroyed it and fell to the ground all over the place. A couple of pieces were almost hitting Inuyasha and the others. One piece of ice hit the back of Miroku's head; he rubbed the back of it because it created a big bump there.

"Miroku! Use it!" Inuyasha commanded Miroku.

"Right..." Miroku said slowly as he continues to massage his bump. He quickly took the prayer beads off and sticks it out to the youkais. "Kazaana!" Then all of the youkais got sucked into the hole, the crystal ice of the youkais vanished and there was no trace of them. Miroku put the prayer beads back on and smiled to the others.

"All right, Natsuyo! Why-!" Shippo cut Inuyasha off.

"Why is Michelle sleeping?" Asked Shippo.

"I was about to ask that! Why is Michelle sleeping?"

"I already told you, Inuyasha! I don't know why! She just past out when the youkais came here. She must've been exhausted from yesterday," Natsuyo answered him.

'_I don't think that is the situation. She's not exhausted...it's something else.'_ Miroku thought. He knew it was something, but he wasn't sure. Do the others sense it? He looked at Inuyasha and then at the others. They don't suspect anything...

(Dream)

_It was all dark, pitch black that she couldn't see her feet at the ground. She couldn't walk; all Michelle could do is stand there and wait for someone to spot her. She slowly sat on her bottom, and crunched her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around the legs to try and keep her warm because it was a little chilly there. She closed her eyes and hoped for someone to find her._

_She then heard footsteps coming to her. She didn't open her eyes to see whose coming. She can't anyway because it's too dark to see anything. She felt something on her shoulder and lifted her head up. But for some reason, she could see the face of the person. It was the guy who looked like Natsuyo. The short black hair and the same blue eyes, but he's wearing the school uniform at school._

"_Don't worry...I'm not like the guys at our school..." he said._

_She was right; he does go to her school. "What do you mean?" Michelle asked him._

"_You mean you don't remember?"_

"_It's hard for me to remember..."_

"_Not true...you forced yourself to forget it so you won't believe that it happened."_

"_You don't understand! I am nothing! What am I them anyway?" _

"_To who?"_

"_Home...our time...what am I to the people at our school?"_

"_To them, you're something. A volleyball player, silent girl, smart girl...great and wonderful girl..."_

"_Who would think of me as a great and wonderful girl?"_

"_Why did you think I defended you that one time?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_That's the memory you forced yourself to erase from your mind. You didn't want to remember me or the time when those guys from our school tried to jump you."_

_Michelle put her hands to her head. "No, it's not true!"_

"_It is true and you know it. You can't deny it...I defended you against those guys. The first time you got jumped by then, you were sent to a hospital, the second time they tried to do that, I defended you. But you just want to erase that memory and think that they still jumped you."_

"_It isn't!"_

"_Lying to yourself, huh? Also lying to me."_

_Michelle stood up on her feet. "Who are you anyway?"_

"_Koya Zuki...I appeared in that other dream when you couldn't move. Michelle, you made yourself to believe no one loves you or even cares for you. Look around in the outside world where Kagome is. She and the others, including Inuyasha, care for you. Inuyasha doesn't show it that often."_

"_How would you know? You don't know me!"_

"_Let's just say I've been watching you for awhile now. Come on...try to remember the time I defended you."_

"_I won't! Because that memory is not there! I never was!"_

"_Stop lying to yourself. Just clear your mind and you'll find it. It's not erased completely."_

"_Yes it is!"_

_Koya sighed. He's getting tired of trying to convince her he defended her. He wants her to remember, wants her to know that she's not alone, to know that, he was there all along, watching over her. It seems like...Michelle has forgotten who she was. But...she probably never knew who she was. Michelle was always in the darkness, Koya noticed that a lot at their school. She never talked, hardly ever, the only time she talks is when she raises her hand to answer a question or ask the teacher a question._

_Michelle was a loner in school...every time she tries to talk to someone, she either backs away or the person that she tries to talk to walks away from her. Koya sees her cry on the school roof secretly, she never knows he's there watching her. So in his point of view, it's sad to just stand there and watch her in pain and in tears. He hates to watch her like that, he wants to comfort her, but to Michelle, Koya is just a stranger, a class mate, who she doesn't know. Michelle is a loner in the outside world, inside world as in her family, and, even deeper, she's lonely in her heart. What can he do to make her more alive and positive?_

_Koya walked up to her, Michelle faced him with angry eyes, and not sure of what he's going to do. When he was just standing right in front of her, he lift his hand up and put it flat on her head, softly. He started to rub it while Michelle's eyes were closed really tight, afraid of what he's going to do to her. Michelle just doesn't understand what's going on in the world right now._

"_I'll show you what happened in on the day I defended you from those idiots..."_

_He said slowly, Michelle's mind started to clear and then...it showed something in her mind that she hoped to never see again in her life._


	14. Chapter 14

_A Journey in a Different Time_

_-Chapter 14-_

_Memories_

_(Note: Koya is showing Michelle on what happened with her and him the first time they actually met.)_

_Michelle was walking home from school quietly, wondering on what she's going to do tomorrow or when she gets home because she doesn't have any friends to hang out with or talk with on the phone. Lately, she's been thinking of suicide because of how the people at her school treats her. She was holding her school bad in her hand, walking quietly to home. No one was around so it was just quiet._

_But what she didn't know was three guys following her. The guys who jumped her before when she first got sent to the hospital. Michelle didn't know she was being followed, she didn't even bother to look who's behind her. But…she did felt something triggered in her body, but she ignored it and continued walking. As for the three guys, were catching up to her. She was walking at a normal speed but the three guys were walking fast to catch up to her. _

_After a few minutes, Michelle felt something grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, finding her back against a wall, her shoulders being pinned to it. She knew who it was and she didn't even try to struggle free when she was being pinned to the wall. The guy, Gezu, pinned her tightly to the wall, smirking and laughing evilly at her, knowing she can't escape from any of them._

"_Heh heh…Looks like you're all better from the last time we met, eh?" Said Gezu, evilly._

"_Should we take her down again?" Asked Yuki, one of Gezu's men in the school ground, much more like a gang._

"_Not yet, why don't we let our little victim here speak and let us hear her out."_

"_Why are you bastards wasting your time?" Michelle asked them. She looked up at the three of them. "Shouldn't you get to your fat girlfriends who are so obnoxious and maybe-"_

_Michelle was cut off when Gezu smacked her face. She wasn't surprised by it, she knew she would get a smack from him after what she said about their girlfriends and other stuff. _

"_Would you like to say anything else?" Gezu asked her with a different tone._

"_And also that no one talks to you and that you guys are so lonely even if you guys have girlfriends you still continue to pick on people and then-"_

_He smacked her again. _

"_Why don't we just use the dagger now before someone comes and sees us?" Kyo, one of his men in the school ground, suggested. _

"_Yeah, I guess the time will be good now. So, little Michelle, have any last words before we start?" Asked Gezu. Michelle didn't answer. She really doesn't have anything to say. She didn't even hear what Kyo said to Gezu. Her mind was too deep in thought about something, but what? "Alright, she has nothing to say so give me the dagger."_

'_Dagger?' Michelle looked up just in time to see Yuki handing Gezu the dagger. Gezu turned to Michelle pointing the end of the dagger to her neck._

"_This is your last change, do you have anything to say before we strike you down?" Gezu asked Michelle again._

"_Not in a million years, Gezu!" said Michelle._

"_Fine, you-"_

_Gezu stopped when he heard something being thrown to the ground, he turned around and saw Kyo fell to the ground just in time with Yuki, both of them rubbing their cheeks. Gezu then was tackled from behind to the ground, he dropped the dagger when he was tackled. His face hit the hard concrete, banging his nose against it._

_Gezu slowly turned his head behind him and saw a guy with short black hair and blue eyes, staring down angrily at him and his friends. The guy grabbed the collar of Gezu's jacked, and threw him against the wall, pinning him, his hands still gripped onto his collar._

"_Bastard! What the hell were you thinking of trying to hurt an innocent girl like that?" The guy yelled in furry. _

"_I wasn't going to do anything!" Gezu shouted. The guy punched him in the stomach._

"_Shut up! You know it's not true! What the hell you were doing with a dagger anyway?"_

"_I-!"_

"_Don't even think about lying to me!" He punched Gezu in the stomach, hard. Gezu flinched and coughed, covering his mouth, coughing out a little bit of blood. Gezu glared up at him angrily, the guy letting go of his collar and backing away, giving Gezu some space. Gezu stood up shakily, still glaring at the guy._

"_Come on, guys! Let's go before we get reported," said Gezu angrily. He quickly ran behind Yuki and Kyo and grabbed the back's of their jackets to lift them off the ground and run with him, running away out of sight, away from Michelle and the mysterious guy._

_When Gezu and the others were out of sight, the guy sighed and turned to face Michelle, really glad that he saved her from them. But when he saw her face, she was looking up at him. Her eyes were covered by her bangs, so he can barely see her face, more likely her eyes. He frowned and walked up to her slowly, removing her bangs from her face so he can see her eyes._

"_Michelle, you may not know me, but I'm Koya, one of your classmates at school. Are you okay?" Koya asked her, gently._

"_Why did you go and did that?" Michelle asked him. Koya was puzzled, he saw her turned her face to him, but her face seems to be full of anger. "No one has ever defended me before, so why now? I don't deserve that! I deserve to get beaten up like that!"_

"_That's not true, Michelle…"_

"_Everyone hates me!"_

"_I don't hate you…"_

_Michelle flinched at the words Koya has just said to her. She smiled weakly at first but her smile turned to a frown. No one has ever cared about her, no one has really said anything to her except when it comes to violence or at the volleyball tournament. No one ever treated her like anything else, not like a human being except for now. But why now? Why not before? Why can't everyone treat her the same way as Koya is doing right now? Why?_

_Koya was waiting for Michelle to say something to him, but no answer from her. Koya gently lift his arms up at her, about to give her a comforting hug, but when Michelle saw that, she turned her head and started to run away, Koya saw a tear rolling down her cheeks, to the ground while he saw her run past him. Koya watched her slowly, watching her running away, from fear, from him, knowing that the next time he sees her, she'll forget about it because she's going to try and erase the memory from her mind._

_Koya sighed when he saw her run out of sight, thinking to himself, wondering why she is so afraid for one person to care about her and not hating her. So far, he was the only one to care for her._

'_Why can't you see I'm trying to help you, Michelle…?'_

_(End of flashback, back to the dark place where Koya and Michelle is). _

_Koya was rubbing her head softly again while the memory was disappearing, out of Michelle's mind and into the back of it. Michelle slowly opened her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks, who was really hoping to not to see that memory again. She thought it was gone completely, but it wasn't, it was way in the back of her mind, it's why she could remember it clearly now. _

_Koya was still rubbing her head, seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks to the ground, he sighed. He then moved his hand from her head to her eyes, covering her eyes, like grabbing her face, but not actually. The tip of his fingers resting on her temples, her sight completely covered, not able to see anything but darkness. _

"_Now…you'll see what happened…the next morning at school…" Koya said slowly. _

_Michelle tried to stop crying, but she couldn't, afraid to see what's going to happen. Her mind was being cleared of everything again. Seeing darkness at first, and then seeing the image of her classroom…_

_(Another flashback, in the morning at their school.)_

_Koya was at school, sitting in his seat, waiting for the doors to open so he can see Michelle walking into the classroom. All he was focusing on was the sliding doors to the classroom, waiting for it to be open, hoping it would be Michelle walking into the room. He was tapping his fingers on the desk, being impatient, waiting impatiently for Michelle to get into the room._

_His mind was so deep in thought. His head going back to yesterday when he defended her against Gezu, Yuki and Kyo. Just the thought of Gezu stabbing her with that dagger got him really angry, it was why he rushed into the scene and got rid of those guys for now. He hopes he drove them away from her for good. He's still going to watch her, making sure she's safe and making sure that no one hurts her or even tries to hurt her again. _

_After awhile he heard the door slide, his thoughts got back to reality and looked at the door, seeing Michelle coming in the classroom. He waited until she got to her seat so he can get up and talk to her. When she got to her seat, she put her black bag at the side of her desk and pushed the chair back, and sat in it, and pushed the chair in._

_Koya pushed his chair back and stood up slowly, walking to Michelle's desk. He put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention when he got there. Michelle flinched lightly and turned to see who's behind her, slowly. She sighed in relief. _

"_Um…may I help you?" Michelle asked kindly._

_Koya nodded. "Yeah, do you remember who I am?" He asked her._

_Michelle looked at him deeply, but shake her head. "I'm sorry…I don't…"_

_Koya nodded again, he was right. Michelle would force herself to forget about it. Because the memory of it hurt her, it pained her heart when she thinks about it. _

_Koya turned around slowly, walking to his desk. He knew that someday, he would show Michelle what happened that day. Everyone at least…deserves the truth…_

_(End of flashback.)_

_Again, lots of tears were rolling down her cheeks, Koya's hand was soaked in her tears, he withdraw his hand away, and let Michelle cried freely. He turned his back against her, for some reason knowing that she doesn't want to see his face right now._

"_I'm sorry for showing you those memories, but you had to know about it instead of lying to yourself all the time. You would just slowly die on the inside…" said Koya._

_Michelle was sniffing, starting to cry more and more, now sobbing, wants to forget those memories so badly. All she can do now is run those memories in her head._

_Koya just listened to her crying, he knows that she doesn't want to be comforted. He just waited for her to stop crying, but he also knows that, she wouldn't. At this moment, he doesn't know what to do. ( Of course, hardly any guy knows what to do when a girl is crying!)_

"_K-Koya…" Michelle said silently._

_Koya heard her and he slowly turned around to face her, surprisingly to see her wrapping her arms around his waist, crying in his shirt. His face was shocked and also relieved, he slowly wrapped his arms around her, one hand rubbing her back and one hand rubbing her head gently. _

"_T-thank you…" Michelle said softly._

_Koya nodded, he knows it was hard for her to say it to him. He pulled her back for a second, looking into her hazel eyes, his favorite color in there…green. He closed his eyes slowly, his lips leaning towards hers. Michelle saw it coming, and closed her eyes as well._

"Michelle, you awake?"

"Huh?"

_(End of dream)_

Michelle slowly woke up, seeing the light coming into her eyes, the brightness of it hurting her eyes. She closed her eyes quickly and covered her eyes with her hand and slowly sat up.

"Ow! Your head banged into my nose!" She suddenly heard Inuyasha's voice saying that and was wide awake, looking straight forward, seeing Inuyasha rubbing his nose.

"Well, I'm SORRY! I didn't know you were RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!" She yelled at him. Michelle stood up and took a look around, looking at the place where she's at. She was in the same place of where she past out. "What happened?"

"You past out when the pack of youkais came," said a voice. Michelle turned around and saw Natsuyo standing behind her. "What happened to you? You just past out, out of nowhere!"

"I…don't know. I don't know what happened…" Michelle said slowly.

"At first, I thought it was a youkais possessing your body, but it wasn't. It was someone who put you to sleep for awhile…" said Miroku, who was standing behind Inuyasha, hiding from Michelle's anger.

Michelle glared at him. "Miroku…what are you doing hiding behind Inuyasha?"

"Nothing, just making sure I gave you enough space for you to breathe." He nodded.

"Yeah, right. Where's everyone else?"

"They went to go fetch some fresh water from a river," said Inuyasha.

"Oh…I see." Michelle was silenced for a second, thinking about Koya, she remembers him now. But barely, she needs time to remember him and try to figure out why he cares so much about her.

While she was thinking of that, Natsuyo was smirking for a second, then walking up behind her quietly and lightly rubbed her butt. Michelle shrieked and shivered, she turned around slowly and smacked his face. She walked away in furry, leaving Natsuyo behind with a hand print on his face.

"Damn, you do remind me of Miroku," said Inuyasha.

"Yeah, he does remind me of me…" said Miroku. "But what's wrong with that?"

"The girls hate it, that's what's wrong with it." Inuyasha punched his head. "Get that through your THICK SKULL!"

Miroku started to massage the big bump on his head. "Ow…"

"You deserved it."

Natsuyo laughed a bit. Inuyasha glared at him for a second, thinking about the information he received from him last night.

'_I think he's lying about Yokotsu, I bet he knows who he is. He's probably still alive somewhere, but the question is where? I better get the information out of Natsuyo as soon as possible.' _Inuyasha thought to himself.

Natsuyo on the other hand, was laughing to himself…he is so happy that he did what Miroku did, rubbed Michelle's butt.


	15. Chapter 15

_A Journey in a Different Time_

_-Chapter 15-_

_Why Run Away from them?_

"What? What was Natsuyo doing?" Naraku asked with a tone. Once again, he was at his castle in his room, sitting next to the window, staring at Kagura and Kanna.

"Natsuyo was flirting with the girl, Michelle. He's not doing his job. Why don't you just kill him now and revive the _Shichinin-tai_?" Kagura questioned him.

"What does he have to do again, Naraku?" Kanna asked quietly.

"Natsuyo needs to either kill the girl and get me those shards, or bring her here so I can kill her, or she can work for me," Naraku answered.

"Bring her here? You never said that!" Kagura exclaimed.

"I know, I never said that to you. But I have said that to Natsuyo, his choice. Since he's human, he would keep her alive longer, so he'll bring her here whenever he can."

"And if he doesn't?"

"I'll have you to bring her here…"

"Why always lay the dirty work on me? Fine, whatever. Call me whenever you need me, Naraku." Kagura turned around slowly and walked out of the room, leaving Kanna there by herself with Naraku.

"Kanna…show me Natsuyo…" said Naraku. Kanna nodded and slowly walked up to her, she placed the mirror in front of her chest and the mirror let out an aura, having the mirror glow a bright light and show an image of what Natsuyo was doing.

He was walking alone in a forest, with his sword resting on his shoulder, making sure it doesn't slice it. Naraku stared blankly into the mirror while he watches what Natsuyo was doing. Soon after, Natsuyo appeared a the village and started to rest there, going out and hunting some food and getting some fire wood for the place he's staying at now.

"His every day job? No…his home…I see…he's resting," said Naraku calmly. He smirked down into the mirror, then looking at Kanna. "Keep watch of him, and while you're at it, keep watch of what that girl is doing."

"Yes." Kanna said slowly, she slowly started to disappear in front of him, leaving Naraku by himself now.

Peace and quiet, but first, Naraku must do something.

'_Kohaku…come back to the castle; don't revive the Shichinin-tai yet. We'll do it some other time. Once you get here…I have an assignment for you to do.'_

Sending a message through his mind to Kohaku was what he had to do. All he has to do is wait until something happens.

_(Kagome's group)_

"Look! I'm tired of you asking questions! Why can't you just but out of our business, you bitch!" Inuyasha was yelling in furry when he heard Michelle asked a question of why they were after Naraku. Michelle flinched when she heard Inuyasha yelling at her, she turned around and gave him a nasty look he did not want to see. Inuyasha had a sweat drop and gulped a bit, but his face got back to being really angry and pissed.

"Hey! Don't I at least deserve to know why we're going after Naraku! I need to go after him because I need to find my way home! What about you? What's your reason! Huh?" Michelle screamed at him.

"THAT is also none of your business! Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"Why can't you just keep your big mouth shut, stupid dog?"

"Shut up, bitch!"

"Why are you always like this towards me?"

"Like what?"

"Always so pissed and angry at me? You never give me a chance for you to try and like me! So what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, something is wrong with you for being so damn nosy!"

"Aargh!"

"Inuyasha, osuwa-!"

"No, Kagome." Kagome turned to Michelle, looking at her quizzically, wondering why she was stopped by Michelle.

"Why, Michelle? He's not behaving himself right now," said Kagome.

"Because, I'm tired of hearing that dumb ass dog complaining about me."

'_Dumb ass dog?' _Inuyasha shouted in his thoughts.

"Michelle, what are you…?" Kagome was thinking of what was going to happen next. She's hoping she doesn't…

"If Inuyasha doesn't want to see me, that's fine with me!" Kagome ran to Kagome's bag and took the bow and the quiver filled with arrows. Then she turned to Kagome and Inuyasha. "I'll leave for the time being!"

"Michelle!" Kagome stepped forward to try and calm Michelle down, but Michelle acted quickly. She took an arrow out of the quiver and aimed it at Kagome.

"I mean it, if any of you try to even follow me, I'll surrender myself to Naraku and give him the jewel shards."

Everybody gasped when they heard Michelle made that threat. It's something they cannot believe. So now…they have to do what she says and not follow her. Inuyasha's face, wasn't angry, his face was in the form of disappointment and…the face that shows he doesn't want to lose anything. Like doesn't want to loose Kagome or Kikyo.

Michelle put the bow and arrow down; she put the arrow back into the quiver, still holding onto the bow. She closed her eyes and sighed, making sure she doesn't make any mistake. Everyone knew she was making one of the biggest mistakes since she's been here. Hopefully if Michelle does come back, she doesn't make another big mistake.

Michelle was clutching up her fists. Then, her foot turned and she started to run away. Tears rolling down her cheeks while she was running. The tears rolled off her face, landing on the ground behind her, Inuyasha saw that. He at least thought she would stop and turn around and beg for forgiveness for what she did. But she didn't…she just kept running and didn't stop. Inuyasha was feeling guilty.

'_Wait…why am I feeling guilty for her? She's so annoying!'_ "Feh!" Inuyasha turned around, his back against the running girl. He was thinking of turning his head back to see her off, but he was too stubborn to, so he didn't bother at all. He folded his arms over his chest and walked off ahead, maybe to cool off somewhere or something.

"Inuyasha, where are you going?" Kagome asked calmly now that Michelle is gone. She doesn't want to piss Inuyasha off.

"To wash my face…it's dirty…" he answered.

"Inuyasha…since when did you care about your face?"

"I forgot, so don't bother me. I'm going to a nearby river."

"Alright…oh wait."

"What?"

"You want to take some soap? It'll be much better that way, much cleaner and less greasy."

Inuyasha glared at her. He was thinking of it, 'because lately his face has been greasy. He touched his felt, and it was really greasy. What has he been eating lately? Oh yeah, ramen noodles. Inuyasha turned to Kagome and saw she was holding a bottle of soap in her hands. He walked up to her and snatched that out of her hands and started to walk to a nearby river.

Kagome was stunned, wasn't he suppose to wait until she hands it to him or something? He can't just snatch things out of people's hands! That is like so rude!

"What a jerk…" Kagome whispered to herself. She folded her arms over her chest.

Sango, Miroku and Shippo were just staring at Kagome blankly. They just have no idea what's going on. They stared at each other and then they stared back at Kagome. What exactly is going on here? Michelle just went ballistic and ran away, Inuyasha took a bottle of soap to just wash his face at a river, and now Kagome is angry at Inuyasha. The rest of them should just keep quiet and low while it lasts.

_(Where Michelle is…)_

Michelle was leaning her back against a tree, catching her breath, so tired of running for awhile that she needs to rest for now. A few tears still on her cheeks, her eyes a little red from it. She slowly wiped her tears away with her sleeve, still trying to catch her breath and calm down a little so she can continue walking. Her eyes were still heated and she has a little headache, she needs to take a break. But it's strange, usually when she has headaches is when it's going to rain soon.

"I guess it might rain…" Michelle said quietly to herself.

Michelle reached her arm to her back to grab an arrow from her quiver. She looked at the arrow for a second, thinking, how can she get miko powers? Can she be like Kagome or Kikyo, who uses the Sacred Arrow? Will she be of any use with them at all? Besides sensing the danger that is coming towards them? She clutched onto the arrow real tight, making sure she doesn't break it in half, but she's so frustrated she can't do anything, she can't even please Inuyasha with the power of sensing things can help him.

She sighed. "Am I nothing to them?"

She put the arrow back in her quiver and sighed again. She looked on ahead; she should continue on before it rains, she can't go back to the others after what she did. She'll wait until she meets up with them again. She doesn't know when, but at least, she'll know she'll ran into them sometime soon. Who knows when.

"I should go before it rains." Before she took a step forward, she felt something landed on her cheek. She wiped it away and saw it on her finger tip, a rain drop. Then, it started to pour hard, getting her soaking wet already. She sighed once again. "Spoke too soon…"

She was shivering, but she didn't care. She needs to go find shelter. So once again, she started to run again, run to anywhere, wherever she can find somewhere to hid for awhile.

_(Where Natsuyo is.)_

Natsuyo was outside with that little hat on to protect himself from the rain. He was looking up at the gray sky, sighing. He hates the rain a lot, brings a lot depression. He started to walk along the road to cross a little river by using the bridge. Hearing his foot stomping on the wooden bridge, and stopping his steps half way there, because of him seeing someone just a head.

He saw a woman, facing a tree. A quiver was on her back and she had no protection from the rain at all, she was soaking wet and the back of her head looks so familiar…

He saw Michelle reaching her arm back and grabbed an arrow from her quiver. She took a few steps back, about a couple feet away from the tree. _'She's probably going to do some target practice. I haven't seen her use a bow and arrow before…'_ Natsuyo thought. Natsuyo watched Michelle aiming her arrow at the tree, her arm was shaking a little, he can tell. Was she afraid or is it because she's so cold from the hard, pouring rain?

After a few minutes, Natsuyo finally saw Michelle shoot the arrow at the tree. He watched the arrow carefully; watching where it was going to hit…it hit the ground. How did she miss the tree? And why is she alone with Inuyasha or anybody else around? This wasn't right…but then he thought about it for a second. What happened with her and Inuyasha again?

Natsuyo saw Michelle grab another arrow from her quiver, setting the bow, aiming at the tree, and then shooting it again, and misses it again.

"AARGH! Why can't I hit the tree?"

He heard Michelle shout out loud.

He chuckled and moved his feet to walk towards. While he was walking, he saw Michelle sighed and took out another arrow, setting up her bow again. She was shaking again. When he got to her, he put his hand over her hand that was holding the bow and the other hand over the other hand that was holding the arrow. He heard Michelle gasped and she quickly turned her head, so shocked that she realized her lips were so close to his.

"Shh…calm yourself down so you can focus and see clearly," said Natsuyo. "Turn your head back to the tree…" Michelle nodded slowly while looking at his blue eyes, her lips almost meeting hers but she slowly turned her head back to the tree, blushing beat red. He leaned in to speak in her eyes softly. "Now…relax your shoulders…" Michelle's spine shivered and she took in a deep breath. "Focus on the tree…" _'She really is soaking wet, how long has she been in the rain?' _

Michelle was concentrating really hard, keeping one thing on her mind: To hit the tree with the arrow. Suddenly her mind was clearing up and all she can see was the tree, and nothing else. And then…she shot it…everything was going in slow motion, Michelle saw the arrow was heading straight for the tree, and she thought she saw a glimpse of something, pink aura, the Sacred Arrow? And then, everything went so fast that the arrow stabbed the tree.

Michelle couldn't believe it, she actually shot the tree. Natsuyo stepped back a little, giving Michelle some room. Suddenly, he saw her quickly grabbed another arrow from her quiver and shot another arrow at the tree, the arrow hit above the other one. Natsuyo has no idea why she did that again.

"Um…Michelle? Are you okay? You're soaking wet, you should come back to my place and dry off, I got some clothes that don't exactly fit me because it's for a miko," said Natsuyo. He walked over to the tree and picked up the arrows that were on the ground and on the tree. When he grabbed the arrows, he turned to Michelle and saw her shivering a lot. She's really cold. Natsuyo walked up to her and put the arrows back in her quiver and took her hand. "Come on, I went out to get some more fire wood, there's a little fire in my place, you'll warm up there."

He dragged her gently to his house; Michelle was a little warmer when she stepped in the room. Natsuyo handed her the miko clothes. "Here, change into these while I go and get some more fire wood and then we can have some dinner."

Michelle nodded slowly and gently took the clothes and watched Natsuyo leave.

_(Thirty minutes later.)_

When Natsuyo came back with the firewood, he saw Michelle sitting in front of the fire, the white top and the red pants looking so beautiful in it. Her hair was put back, using her scrunchy, making sure the fire doesn't start to burn her hair. Her clothes were hanging near the other fire place, the string holding them to dry off.

Natsuyo snapped out of it and threw some wood in both of the fire places.

"What's for dinner?" Michelle asked quietly, but it was loud enough for Natsuyo to hear.

"Dinner was already made, wild boar from the mountains," he answered her. He handed her a plate with some meat on it. "Here you go."

She took the plate. "Thank you…"

He nodded.

Later after the finished eating, Natsuyo put the plates away. It was still pouring hard, Michelle just watched the fire, watching the flames flicker, being drawn into it. Natsuyo sat next to Michelle, he turned to her.

"Why aren't you with Inuyasha and the others?" He asked her.

Michelle sighed and slowly turned her head to him slowly. "Inuyasha pissed me off again. I got so pissed that I grabbed the bow and the quiver and told them that I was leaving for awhile, I knew Inuyasha wanted that. Kagome tried to calm me down, but I pointed an arrow at her, and I warned all of them if they follow me, I'll surrender myself to Naraku and give him the jewel shards."

Natsuyo was shocked. "Are you crazy? Do you really want to die that badly?" _'Most important thing, why did you run away from them? Aren't they your friends?'_

"What do you mean? It's not like you work for Naraku."

Natsuyo stared at her, hoping she doesn't know about him and Naraku, he gulped silently and tried to speak. "So! Naraku is one of the sickest and evil youkais out there. You do not want to join him, if you join him he'll get rid of you when he doesn't need you anymore."

"I didn't say I was going to join him, I said I'll surrender myself to Naraku."

"It sounds like you'll join him too."

"No…why would anyone need me? I'm nothing…"

Natsuyo sighed and frowned at her. He used his thumb and index finger to gently grab her chin and force her to look at him, Michelle couldn't believe this was happening. Her face was blushing beat red, she couldn't hide it. Natsuyo laughed a little.

"You _are_ something…you're a great and wonderful girl…"

Michelle's eyes widen. _'Koya said that to me…'_ She thought.

He leaned in and kissed her lips, his eyes closed, Michelle couldn't move, she just breathed lightly through her nose and closed her eyes slowly. Natsuyo took his hand away from her chin and started to rub her arms.

Michelle opened her mouth a little, welcoming his tongue. Natsuyo slipped his tongue in, rubbing his against hers.

Natsuyo's hands found her shoulders and was slowly sliding the white top off, revealing her shoulders and parts of her chest. When the white shirt was taken off, Michelle wrapped her arms around his neck, they both laid down on the floor.

All kinds of thoughts when were coming through Michelle's head when Natsuyo started to kiss her neck. Things that didn't seem right anymore. She couldn't believe what she is about to do, is she really going to have sex with this guy? Her feelings for him became strong that she fell in love with him. Does he feel the same? She thought he said they were friends.

"Natsuyo…please stop…" said Michelle.

Natsuyo stopped and slowly got up, sitting up, giving back her white shirt. "I understand, I'm sorry, I went a little too fast," said Natsuyo. _'I had no idea what came over me. I love her so much that I have to protect her with all my life, even if I die, I'll risk my life for her.'_

Michelle reached her hand to grab her shirt. "Can you turn around?"

"Sure." He turned around slowly.

'_At least he respects me a little…except the time he rubbed my butt…he shouldn't have done that, but oh well. Forgive and forget.' _She put the white shirt back on, warm now that it's on. She looked outside, it's still raining hard, and it's dark out. Hopefully it'll stop in the morning.

"It's late, you should get some rest."

Michelle turned to him, seeing that he's getting a blanket out. "Why?"

"You might catch a cold; I don't want you to get sick."

"I'll be fine." She spoke too soon once again; she started to cough, hard. Natsuyo got a little worried; he knelt down and felt her forehead.

"You have a little fever. Go to bed, you'll feel better tomorrow morning or so."

She sighed. "Alright, I will." Michelle took the blanket and put it over her body, facing the fire. Natsuyo came up behind her, his arm over her stomach from behind, putting the blanket over him as well. He kissed her head lightly.

"Go to sleep…"

"Alright…" Michelle slowly closed her eyes and she then drifted off to sleep. Natsuyo smiled at her as she slept quietly. He pulled her closer to him gently, her back against her chest, just like the time when they were in that forest while Inuyasha was getting some fish to eat while he was on guard duty. He wanted to go back to that moment again. He slowly closed his eyes as well, drifting off to sleep, the last things he was hearing was the fire flickering and the pouring rain.

_(Kagome's group.)_

Kagome was sleeping in her sleeping bag with Shippo in her arms while Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha keep watch for the night, the cold, rainy night.

"Inuyasha, do we really have to keep watch out for tonight? I don't think any youkais would be out in the rain," said Sango. Kirara was in her lap, Sango was petting her and scratching the back of her ear.

"It's not that," said Inuyasha.

"Then what is it?" Miroku asked.

"I'm just waiting for something."

"If you're thinking Michelle might pass by here and you might catch her scent, think again, Inuyasha. You can sniff her out in the rain," explained Sango.

"I know that!"

"Then what are you doing?" Miroku asked quietly.

"I'm trying to listen…if she does pass by, I can catch her in a second."

"Inuyasha let her come to us. If you try and catch her, she'll think you've been following her and she'll surrender herself and the jewel shards to Naraku. Maybe she'll turn against us. So don't try anything." Inuyasha became silent, he gripped tighter onto his Tetsusaiga. "But what I'm trying to figure out is why you want to get Michelle back? I thought you hated her. What's with the sudden change?"

"Yeah, and what happened between you, Natsuyo and Michelle when we got separated? Whatever happened must've changed how you felt about her. Instead of her being an annoying pest, and a bitch and something else to you, she became something else to you, right?" Said Sango.

Inuyasha turned his head away from them. "It's none of your business. And I don't know what you're talking about Miroku. I didn't change, I don't want her back, and she's nothing to me. I don't need her."

"You sure about that, Inuyasha?" Asked Sango.

Inuyasha was about to answer but he stopped when he heard Kagome turned over to her side, her back facing them. He stared at her for a second and then stared at Sango.

"Yes…I'm sure."

When Kagome's back was turned, her eyes were a little bit opened. She heard parts of the conversation, the part when Inuyasha said he didn't need her. _'Was he talking about me? That he didn't need me? And that I'm nothing to him?'_ Kagome's eyes started to get watery and tiny tears rolled down her cheeks to the sleeping bag. ( As we all know, we know Inuyasha is not talking about Kagome, but Kagome thinks that.)

Inuyasha's sensitive nose picked up something salty. He looked at her Kagome for a second, thinking, is she crying? He didn't want to disturb her in her sleep if she is sleeping. Was she listening to the conversation? If she was, what is she crying about anyway? There's nothing to cry about in this conversation…

He'll find out in the morning.

_(Morning, where Michelle and Natsuyo is.)_

Michelle opened her eyes slowly, seeing bright light shining in her eyes. She got blinded and quickly covered the sunlight with her arm. She looked around and remembered she's at Natsuyo's house. She looked at the ground and saw that her clothes were folded up, next to her. Michelle was a little stunned, she couldn't believe Natsuyo did that for her.

She picked up her school uniform and started to dress out of the miko clothes. But she stopped before she took off her white shirt.

"Wait…maybe I should walk like this for awhile…stay in the miko clothes until I run into Inuyasha and the others," she said to herself. She put her shirt back on and put the her school uniform in her shirt, her hair still up. She smiled, because no one can notice and it doesn't make her look fat. She doesn't care if it doesn't match; she put her school shoes on. She then grabbed the bow and the quiver, she put the quiver over one shoulder and the bow over the other, then walking outside, getting ready to leave.

"Morning." Said Natsuyo when he saw her coming out of the house.

"Morning, Natsuyo," she said with a smile.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes, I need to travel on my own for awhile."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, it's okay. I'll be fine."

Natsuyo smiled, he put his hands up and put them on both of her cheeks, his forehead against hers, closing his eyes, breathing lightly. "Don't worry…an hour after you leave, I'll be right behind you. I'll follow you, okay?"

"Natsuyo…what about here? Isn't this place your home?"

"It is, but it isn't going to be anymore."

"Why is that?"

Natsuyo sighed. _'All things must end some time, even life. I hate it when my life will have to end and never to see her again…' _"Because…I'm going to be leaving soon."

"No you're not; you're not going to die now."

'_Why do you say things that you don't know?'_ "Michelle…"

"Yes?"

"Never mind."

'_His hands are shaking, is he going to be okay?'_

"You should go on now. I'll catch up to you when I'm done with this place."

"Okay."

Natsuyo smiled and his lips met hers, Michelle didn't do anything except to close her eyes. After a few minutes, the lip contact became apart, Michelle was blushing too red, not know what to say. Natsuyo just gave her a good, long kiss. Natsuyo smiled at her, he put one hand down from her cheek and his other hand rubbing her cheek gently.

'_I love her…'_ "Go right now…"

Michelle nodded, she put her hand on his cheek, taking it off, holding his hand before she started to walk away. Their hands let go when she was far away from hand holding, her head was still looking at him, she turned it around slowly and walked on ahead. To the forest she goes, disappearing in it, walking in the dark forest…

_(The forest where Michelle is walking in.)_

"Now what should I do?" Michelle asked herself.

"How about surrendering the jewel shards?"

Michelle gasped. "Kagura, where are you?" Michelle was looking around everywhere, she then saw a figure coming out of hiding from behind a tree. A woman with a fan and a kimono. "Kagura, what do you want!"

"Simply, the jewel shards, of course."

"Never!"

"Naraku told me this before, he told me to make a deal with you."

Michelle was silent. "I'm listening."

"If you surrender the shards to us, we'll keep you alive and give you anything you want."

"Anything?"

"Anything…miko powers, Natsuyo…freedom…anything…"

'_Anything?'_ Michelle smiled and she started to laughed a little, she pulled an arrow out from her quiver and set her bow up, aiming the arrow at Kagura.

"What…?"

"Listen, Kagura. You can tell Naraku to forget this stupid deal. I'm not giving up these jewel shards."

"Would it change your mind if you figured out that one of those shards is his?"

"Yeah, right Kagura! There's no way one of those shards is his…wait…" _'The first time I received a shard was when the first time I came here…and then…the second shard was from Kikyo…that's right…the one I received in the beginning was from Naraku…wait…is this shard to track me down wherever I go? Kagura seemed to find me easily.'_

"You remembered, huh? How can you forget a thing like that?"

'_Ow…not that pain again, why do I feel this pain? I keep feeling this pain every time when…that negative energy comes. Ow!' _Michelle dropped the arrow and she started to clutch onto her arm. _'What? The pain…it became stronger…and the negative energy, it also became stronger…' _"Kagura…who else is here with you?"

"Why would you want to know?"

"Just answer the question!"

"Heh, if you want to know, Naraku is here too…"

'_Oh no…a cut just opened…blood is coming out now…'_

"Kagura…get the jewel shards, she is wounded now," said Naraku, out of nowhere.

"Certainly…" Kagura started to walk slowly towards Michelle, Michelle's back was against the tree, she knew she was in trouble.

Michelle had to think fast and act quickly. She quickly grabbed the arrow that was on the ground and set it up, shooting the arrow. The arrow cut her sleeve, revealing some skin on Kagura's arm. Kagura stopped in her tracks and look at her arm, seeing there's a little cut on her kimono.

"I can't believe you actually had the strength to shot that arrow at me," said Kagura.

"What…do you mean?" Asked Michelle.

"You're wounded, and the bleeding won't stop right?" Kagura stared at Michelle's arm; she saw blood dripping to the ground, lots of it. "Just surrender the jewel shards now and we'll be on our way, and then you'll get some time to heal."

"Or…just join me completely…" Said Naraku.

'_I can't do that…Natsuyo, where are you? I need you here…' _"N-Never! I would rather die then give these shards to you!" said Michelle, she then fell to her knees. "Go…away…" _'I can't fight right now…someone, anyone…help me please!'_

"Kagura, just take the shards from her now. She's too weak to defend herself."

"Sure…"

'_No…it'll be my fault if Inuyasha found out Naraku took the jewel shards. I can't…I have to do something…'_ Michelle slowly grabbed another arrow from her quiver and aimed it at Kagura, her arms were shaking like crazy, and she could barely move her legs.

Kagura laughed. "You think you have enough strength for you to shoot that arrow…don't waste your time, you're just going to die quicker," said Kagura.

'_I won't give up…but my body will give up…it can't handle all of this. My body is going to give up soon.' _Michelle then suddenly dropped the bow and arrow, Kagura was too close, and Michelle lost quite a bit of blood, her arms fell to the ground and her vision started to get blurry. She couldn't move now, what should she do? _'I'm going to die…' _Her eyes were starting to shut when Kagura's hand was reaching for the shards.

Kagura smirked when she was about to take the jewel shards from her shirt, when she saw something came by her hand fast, cutting wrist. She looked at the thing that hit her, it was an arrow. _'Could it be that Kagome girl?'_

Kagura turned to her other side and saw someone with a bow in it's hand, the person put it's arms down and started to walk slowly towards. When it stepped in the light, it revealed a person with long black hair, and the miko clothing.

"Kikyo?" Kagura was shocked.

"Leave now or I'll shoot the arrow at your heart next time, Kagura," said Kikyo. She turned her attention to Naraku. "I finally found you."

"I don't have time for now, Kikyo. I only came to see if Kagura succeeded on taking the shards. Come on, Kagura. We should leave right now," said Naraku.

"Right…" Kagura took a feather from her hair and had it transformed, jumping on it and flying away, Naraku using the miasma to escape.

"Aargh! Damn you, Naraku!"

After Naraku and Kagura disappeared, she looked at the tree, where Michelle was resting at. She slowly walked to her and went to her knee. She saw the blood on the ground from her arm and looked at her eyes, they were almost shut.

"Are you alright?" Kikyo asked her. Michelle slowly turned her head to Kikyo, so weak that she can barely see anything. She only saw a figure in front of her that looked so familiar.

"K…Kagome…?" With that last word, her eyes completely shut this time. She passed out…

"I need to stop the bleeding right here…"

Kikyo started to take some herbs out of her kimono, getting ready to put it on her arm. She gently grabbed her arm and lifts it up, rubbing the herb medicine on her open wound. It was a long cut down her upper arm. She gently put it down, and grabbed a white strip of bandage, where she got it from Kagome a while ago, she gently wrapped it around Michelle's upper arm, tightening a little.

'_I hope she'll be alright now…I should take her with me in case Naraku and Kagura came back.'_


	16. Chapter 16

_A Journey in a Different Time_

_-Chapter 16-_

_A Broken Heart_

As soon as the light from the sun shined on Inuyasha's eyes, he quickly jumped out from the tree hole, and looked around. The ground was still pretty wet from the rain last night, and the leaves glittered from the light, because of the raindrops. He can hear the birds chirping and singing to the morning light.

Inuyasha heard Miroku yawned. "It's a nice day today," he said tiredly. He started to stretch his arms out while Sango gets out into the open. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?"

"I smell blood..."

Everyone who was awake heard what Inuyasha said. "What...?" Shippo said cowardly.

"Blood...it's really strong too...and it's close by," Inuyasha said coldly.

Kagome walked out with Shippo in her arms, staring at Inuyasha with a little bit of fear. "Do you think...it's..." She stopped before she can even say anything else. She was afraid it was Michelle's blood...

Inuyasha turned to his left and started to run towards where the smell is coming from. Dashing through the bushes and the grass, hoping he'll find her at least. Miroku was running behind Inuyasha, along with Sango, Kirara, Shippo and Kagome.

As Inuyasha dashed through the bushes and the trees, he could tell by the smell he was getting close, smelling along of Naraku's scent near her blood. He went ahead, hoping to find Naraku, forgetting that the others were behind him. He jumped onto a branch, and then jumped off it, over a few trees and landing in the exact spot where he smelled her blood. He stood there for a while, looking around carefully. After a few minutes, he saw the blood on the ground, a trail of it, leading to a tree. _'She was probably leaning against it when she was bleeding...'_ thought Inuyasha. He kneeled down, dipping his finger into the blood and sniffing it.

"Yup...this is her blood..." He started to examine the area around him. Sniffing around, the scent of Naraku going into his nose and images of him popping into Inuyasha's head. He imagined they were talking about the Sacred Jewels, and that Naraku attacked her when she refused to surrender them. Or...it could be that her wound opened because of that negative energy that kept coming at her.

His thoughts were interrupted when he picked up a new scent. He sniffed the ground, near where her blood is. He followed the scent into a certain spot: two-foot prints in standing position, facing the area where Michelle and Naraku were. His eyes widen, knowing whom it was.

"Inuyasha!"

He snapped out of when he heard Kagome's voice. He stood up, and turned around just in time to see Kagome and the others coming up to them, surprised at seeing the trail of blood on the tree and on the ground. "Inuyasha, do you know what happened?" Asked Sango, curiously.

He nodded slowly, was he afraid to answer? Or he just didn't want to upset Kagome again? Like last time when he mentioned Kikyo.

"Well aren't you going to tell us?" Said Miroku, being sort of impatient.

He growled at him a little. Then he shrugged, figured that he had no other choice to tell them. "Before I left you guys, I picked up two scents," he said. Inuyasha walked over to where the blood is and pointed at it. "This is _her_ blood. She was here, and so was Naraku. But now...I'm suspecting Kagura was also here." They nodded, knowing there's more. "But after I examined the area, I picked up another scent." He then walked over to where the footprints are, now afraid to say who it was. "The scent was...Kikyo's...and these are her footprints. I'm guessing that she saved her and Naraku and Kagura went away. If you look over there..." Inuyasha pointed to a tree a few feet away from them, and saw an arrow at it, and then he continued. "...That's her arrow."

_'Wow...I never knew Inuyasha can examine things well when he's not under pressure...' _Kagome thought. She frowned. _'Kikyo, huh? I bet Inuyasha would be happy to see her soon...' _

"Hmm..." Miroku rubbed his chin and started to think deeply. If Naraku and Kagura went away, leaving Kikyo and Michelle behind, then what happened to both of them? It's not like Kikyo to leave Michelle bleeding to death. She probably took her in into safety. "Well, lets go. We better find them. It's more likely that Kagura would be looking for them."

"Yeah lets go!" Said Shippo.

_( Kikyo's place)_

_Michelle knew she was dreaming again. Another silent, dark place, like last time. She was also silent, frowning down at the floor, wondering where he is. After a few minutes, she started to hear footprints coming towards; she turned around, seeing Koya again. She didn't smile, nor frown._

_"You called?" He said._

_Michelle was confused. "Called? I didn't call you," said Michelle._

_"Yeah, you did, your inner voice was calling me to you. Right now I'm sleeping in class during a test."_

_"Oh...I'm sorry..."_

_"Don't worry about it." He brushed his hand over her cheek, but she turned her face away from him. He smiled softly. "You look nice."_

_Michelle looked at him, realizing she was in the miko clothing. She looked up at him, not smiling. "Thank you..."_

_He nodded. "Well, I don't see the reason why you called me, so I should be going." He walked closer to her, taking her chin gently into his two fingers, he slowly leaned towards her, closing his eyes._

_'No...'_

Michelle then woke up, slowly opening her eyes, her vision a little blurry. But when it came to her, she was staring straight at the ceiling. She lifted up her hand and touched her forehead, a cloth? A wet clothe. Someone was treating her back to health. She slowly sat up, letting the cloth fall on her lap. She breathed...feeling ok now and then looked around to see where she is.

"Glad to see you're feeling better."

She looked up, seeing Kikyo caring a bowl of water. Kikyo set the water down and sat on her knees. "So we meet again...Michelle..."

Michelle nodded. "Yes..."

Silence occurred as Michelle and Kikyo stared at each other. Michelle was getting tired of it so she decided to break it.

"What happened?" She asked her, but Kikyo ignored the question.

"Why were you with Kagura and Naraku?" She asked harshly. "What were you thinking?"

"I...I don't know...but it wasn't my fault, I didn't know they were coming to me though!" Silence occurred again...

Kikyo sighed. "What did they want?"

"The Sacred Jewel shards, the ones I have. They said if I give it to them, they would give me whatever they want...he even wanted me to join him..."

"I see..." Kikyo then pulled something out of her sleeve and handed it to Michelle. "Take this herb, it'll heal your wound faster."

Michelle nodded and took the herb in her hands. She stared at the herb for a few minutes and then put it in her miko clothing. She looked back at Kikyo, who was staring back at her. She closed her eyes and stood up

"You should go back to them now," said Kikyo.

Michelle automatically stood up. "Why?"

"Aren't they your friends? Friends who you always wanted? Who you longed for? Your wish?"

Michelle didn't speak. _'She's right...they are friends who I have longed for, but...for some reason, I don't want to go back to them...not now anyway.'_

"If you don't watch yourself, and be with your friends," Kikyo continued. "Naraku _will _force you on his side, and make you fight them, whether you like it or not. He'll go after you, because of your power, because the shards you have with you." Michelle looked down, knowing that she has two shards: One from Kikyo, and the other is from Natsuyo, but how did he get it? "Whenever Naraku does that...I won't be there to witness it. Stay with them. I would watch it, if I were you."

Michelle clenched up her hands, knowing that Kikyo is right.

"Come on." Michelle looked at her. "I'll help you find them." As Kikyo stepped out of the shack, Michelle followed along with her. She saw the blue sky, and the beautiful green trees in her sight. She observed her surroundings a little bit, and then her eyes landed on Kikyo. She was just standing there, not moving, her hands were clenched on her bow tightly. Was she afraid or angry? When Michelle looked ahead of Kikyo, she knew why Kikyo was just standing there. They had an unexpected visitor...Kagura.

Kagura was standing straight as she usually does, holding her fan, the top of it at her chin. She smiled slightly, thinking that it was interesting to see two mikos outside of a shack, with no one else around. But last time she ran into Kikyo, her Sacred Arrow almost shot her.

"So...little girl, have you decided to join us?" Kagura asked, her smile turning into a grin.

"No way, there is no reason for me to join you!" Answered Michelle.

Kagura laughed. "Sooner or later, you'll change your mind, and once you do, you won't be able to go back to your normal life. You'll suffer the same fate as Kohaku!"

_'Kohaku? Who's that?' _"I don't know what the hell you're talking about Kagura! But like I said, I'll never join you!"

"Enough." Kikyo commanded. Kikyo pulled an arrow out from her quiver and set her bow and arrow in shooting position, pointing the arrow at Kagura. "Tell me, where is Naraku?"

"That is not your concern, Kikyo. Naraku isn't interested in you, he is interested in the girl." Kagura started to speak to Michelle again. "If you won't join us, then at least give me the shards and I'll be on my way."

"Like hell I would!" Michelle shouted.

Kikyo pulled the arrow back a little, and let her grip on it go, letting the arrow shoot straight at Kagura, creating a cut on her sleeve of her kimono. "Great..." Kagura said as she stared at her sleeve. She opened up her fan. "You leave me no choice...but to put force on you. Dance of Blades!"

"Kikyo!" Michelle yelled out.

"Don't move!" Said Kikyo. Kikyo quickly put her hands together and started to mumble words that Michelle couldn't understand. When Michelle saw that the blades were coming straight at her, she started to move forward, but stopped when she saw that the blades were being blocked, Kikyo created a kekai. (Which means barrier. )

"Damn you..." Said Kagura, angrily. "A kekai isn't enough to stop me, you know."

"We'll see about that."

"KAGURA!" Inuyasha's voice came out of no where, and the three girls saw him jumping out from the trees and landed in front of Kagura, drawing his Tetsaiga out and pointing it at her. "I have found you Kagura, now tell me where is Naraku!" Kagome and the others started to come too.

_'Damn, there are too many of them.' _ Kagura thought. Kagura's eyes widen as she started to hear Naraku talking in her head. _'Kagura, come back to the castle, we'll get her later.' _Kagura frowned, standing straight up and taking the feather from her hair, and transformed it, flying out of there.

"Once again, she has escaped," said Miroku, being disappointed.

"We'll get her later," said Sango.

After Inuyasha's anger subsided, he turned his attention to Kikyo. Michelle saw Inuyasha's face, and quickly walked to Kagome and the others, having a nice welcome greeting with open arms.

"Kikyo..." Inuyasha's voice was soft, filled with happiness and pain at the same time.

Kikyo looked at him. "It's nice to see you again, Inuyasha." Said Kikyo, with her normal tone. "Glad to see you well. I healed Michelle's wound for you, she'll be fine if she takes the herb." Kikyo turned her back to Inuyasha as she started to leave.

Inuyasha took a step forward, his hand sticking out to reach her. "Wait, Kikyo..."

Kikyo stopped in her tracks, and Michelle saw the sadness on Kagome's face. Is this a love triangle?

"We'll meet again, Inuyasha..." And then Kikyo started to depart.

Michelle looks on the faces of Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kagome. Three faces of disappointment, and one face of sadness. Michelle couldn't tell what Inuyasha was feeling, his back was against her. She wanted to ask Inuyasha what was wrong with him exactly, and the history about him, Kikyo, and Kagome.

"Michelle." She heard Sango spoke to her, Sango was handing her: her school clothes. "We found this while looking for you. It has a few blood stains on it, but we'll wash it." She smiled at Michelle.

Michelle smiled back. "Thank you Sango." She gave Sango a hug. After that, her thoughts were clouded with thoughts of the love triangle.


	17. Chapter 17

_A Journey in A Different Time_

_-Chapter 17-_

_The Way Home_

"So that's what happened, eh?" Kaede questioned Sango. Sango nodded in response.

Sango and everybody else were back at Kaede's village. Kagome and Inuyasha, were somewhere in the village, staying away from each other. Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Michelle were in Kaede's house, explaining what happened earlier that day. Michelle also explained on what happened to her while she was separated from them. Technically, Michelle blames herself that Kagome is sad and not talking much. She still hasn't changed out of her miko clothes yet. Michelle stood up and walked outside, getting some fresh air. Breathing in some clear air instead of bloodstain air. The breeze against her hair and skin felt good at once when it touched her.

Michelle stretched out her arms and yawned. After that was done, she looked around the village, wondering where either Kagome or Inuyasha is. She sighed, when she couldn't see a sight of them. So what should she do now, besides moping around and doing nothing all day? A walk in the forest will be nice, maybe a trip to the Bone-Eater's Well will do. And she was off, walking up to the forest to the Bone-Eater's Well, hoping she'll find something of how to get back home at least. She's been yearning to get home ever since she got there, hopefully, she'll be able to go back home without the other's help. Besides, entrance exams are coming up quick! She can't afford to miss the exam and not get into high school, her mom would kill her!

As her figure disappeared into the depths of the forest, she walked past trees and bushes. Moving branches aside so she can have room to walk through. Now, which way was it again? Gah, who knows, she'll eventually find it, right?

When she removed another branch aside, she smiled in relief, seeing the Bone-Eater's well in the open. She quickly jumped out of hiding, and slowly walked to the well. Taking baby steps, she put her hands on the edge of the well as soon as she got there, and looked down. Seeing the corpses of youkais was a disgusting sight to her. She wanted to puke her guts out when she saw the bones of youkais at the bottom. But instead, she put one foot on the edge, and hesitated, thinking if she should really go down there at this time. What would the others do if they find out that she was missing? They would be searching all over the place when she was home all along. And another thing, how would she ever explain the weird clothing to her mother?

Michelle sighed to herself, and slowly put her foot down, and leaned her back against the well, looking up at the blue sky and the sun. She closed her eyes, breathing softly, the sunrays against her skin, relaxing to the gentle breeze and the silence. It was going well for a few minutes, until she heard footsteps. Her eyes opened in shock, wondering where the footprints were coming from. She left the well, and started to follow the sound. Again, moving the branches and walking in the grass, but this time, she's doing it gently. When she came out into another opening, she saw Kagome, at a tree.

She started to wonder herself why Kagome was there. She saw Kagome feeling the tree with her hand, her hand roaming over the missing bark on it, using her finger to touch the tiny hole on it. Michelle took a step forward, accidentally stepping on a twig, hearing it snap in two, startled Kagome. She quickly turned around and breathed in relief.

"Sorry, I thought you were someone else," said Kagome.

Michelle shook her head. "No, no. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She saw Kagome turned her back against her, looking at the tree. Michelle took anther step forward. "Um...May I ask what you are doing?"

"Just remembering memories of this tree."

Michelle was confused; she walked closer up to Kagome until now she was a few feet away from her. "Why? Is this tree special?"

She saw Kagome nod her head slowly. "Yes, it is. It's where Kikyo killed Inuyasha."

Michelle's eyes widen. "Killed?"

Kagome turned around to face her. "That's right...I never told you about Inuyasha." It took a few minutes to tell Michelle about Inuyasha's past. How Kikyo killed him fifty years ago. Kagome has told Michelle about everyone: Sango, Shippo, Miroku, now it's time for Inuyasha.

"I see...Kikyo sealed him with a sacred arrow..." said Michelle slowly.

"Yes..." She turned to the tree again. "It's where Inuyasha and Kikyo departed...and it's where I met Inuyasha...for the first time." Michelle looked at her. "In the beginning it was a little disturbing...but as we traveled together and got along...we...met Kikyo..."

"How did she come back to life?"

"A witch came and grabbed her bones and ashes and brought her back to life. It's why she is here today." Kagome paused, thinking of what else to say. "Every time Inuyasha sees Kikyo...the memories of him and her in the past comes back, along with his love to her. I always get sad at that...I know he cares about me, but all he wants to do is run away when he sees me hurt." She became quite.

Michelle frowned at that. Inuyasha may be a jerk, but he does have inner feelings that he wishes that no one would no…including Kagome. Michelle's thoughts were interrupted when she heard Kagome sobbing. She saw a tear dropped from Kagome's face. She put her hand on her shoulder, and Kagome turned around to face her, tears rolling down her cheeks. She gave Kagome a hug, rubbing her back gently, trying to comfort her friend. Eventually, Kagome's sobs started to fade away, and she hugged Michelle back, smiling to her. She whispered, "Thank you…"

Michelle smiled to herself and to Kagome. "Your welcome…"

After a few minutes, Kagome finally let go and started to head into the direction to the village. But Michelle thought of something that didn't seem right.

"Kagome, where are you going?" Michelle asked, getting worried.

"I'm going home…" Kagome said, quietly, but loud enough for Michelle to hear what she said.

"What…but…I thought we couldn't get home."?

"Well…that was you, who knows about me, my stuff is already near the well, so I can go home right now if I wanted to. And I am going home right now."

"But what about Inuyasha? And the others?"

"They'll know where I went. It's sort of a routine. Ever time _he_ sees Kikyo, I get upset, and I go home, relax at home and maybe go to school and do stuff around the house."

"Let me go with you."

Kagome turned around, facing Michelle. She looked into her hazel eyes, seeing the want that she wants to go home so much: to see real people again, and to see Tokyo.

"Ok. Let's go."

They walked through the bushes and to the well. Michelle didn't notice it earlier that the yellow backpack was there. Probably Kagome meant to drop it there so she can come back after visiting the Sacred Tree. Kagome grabbed the strap of the backpack and pulled the straps on her shoulders. She sat on the edge of the well, and Michelle sat across from her.

"Ready?" Kagome asked her.

"Ready." Said Michelle. Michelle was finally happy, she was going home...

Kagome took her hand out to Michelle, and she took it, together they both jumped down. Kagome's hair flowing down as she goes. The auras around her were appearing, knowing that she's actually going through time. In time, she landed on her feet and got up. She sighed happily, she's home now. And so is Michelle.

"Well, lets go-huh?" Kagome stopped when she didn't see Michelle anywhere down the well. _'What happened? She jumped down the well with me and she's not here?' _ She looked around the well again, just to make sure. "Maybe…she can't go through the well…but through something else…I wonder where though…"

_ (Back where Michelle is)_

"Dammit!" Michelle punched the dirt bottom of the well, frustrated. Why couldn't she go back home but Kagome can? She punched the ground repeatedly, punching it until her hand was covered in dirt. Angry tears started to develop and roll down her cheeks to the ground. "All I want is to go home…why can't I go home?"

After awhile, she calmed herself down, and laid her back against the wall of the well. She sighed heavily, still trying to relax before she leaves and walks back to Kaede's village.

Now she was ready to go, so she stood up and climbed out of the well, finding that the blue sky became colored. The sun was setting. How long has she been down there?

Well, that's not really important, she should get back before the others starts to worry about her. She darted off to the village in silence…

"Inuyasha, have you seen Kagome or Michelle anywhere today?" Asked Sango, curiously.

Inuyasha's back was against the wall of Kaede's house. His arms were folded over his chest. He turned his head to Sango, who was just outside of the door to the house.

"No, I haven't seen either of them," Inuyasha answered, silently, with a gentle tone.

Sango sighed. "They're going to be late for dinner…Hm? Michelle?" Sango saw Michelle walking towards her, her miko clothing a little dirty, and her hair had a green leaf in it. "Where have you been?" Sango walked over to her and took the leaf off of her head, Michelle laughed nervously.

"Oh, I just took a walk in the woods and tripped while doing so, oh, and I ran into Kagome too," said Michelle, smiling and still laughing nervously.

"Did she go home?"

Michelle stared at Sango in surprise. How did she know Kagome was going home? That's right…Kagome said it was a routine so she would know. So does that mean Miroku and Shippo know about it too? Including Inuyasha?

"Yeah, she did." Michelle finally answered, taking a quick glimpse at Inuyasha, seeing a dark aura over his eyes.

"As always…well, we should go in now, it's time to eat." Sango walked into the house, leaving Michelle and Inuyasha outside.

"Inuyasha…" Michelle started.

"Don't talk to me," Inuyasha darted away, leaving Michelle far behind. All she wanted to do was just help him. Why does he hate her so much? Was he made because she was with Kikyo again? Or is this about him and Kagome?

Michelle ignored the questions and walked in Kaede's house and smelled some delicious soup. "Oh great, I'm starving!"

It was late at night, and Inuyasha didn't eat anything tonight. He was staring at the full moon, lying on the roof. His hands were on the back of his head, his elbows in the air, and one knee bent in the air. Counting the stars around the moon, he got bored of that. But he then noticed a pattern: The stars formed into a shape of Kagome…

_ (Late at night) _

He sighed. He didn't know what to do.

"So…this is where you have been…"

Inuyasha nearly almost jumped off the roof when he heard Michelle's voice.

"Wow…even the hanyou can get scared easily," she said with a grin on her face.

Inuyasha got his senses back and got angry. "Bitch, don't even do that again!" Angered Inuyasha.

"I'm sorry, I didn't really mean to do that. I just wanted to have a little fun. Is that really wrong?" She questioned him.

He was about to speak but stopped, she's right; having a little fun everyone once in awhile is good. It's not wrong, just needed to find the right time to do it. And Michelle found that right time. Inuyasha saw that down his legs and arms crossed, his eyes closed, listening to Michelle's breathing. He could imagine her still wearing this miko clothes.

"So what do you want?" Inuyasha finally asked her.

"Just wondering why you didn't eat dinner with us," she answered, normally

At least this time, it's starting off gently instead of roughly. "I wasn't in the mood…"

"I see…" said Michelle, she then laid on the roof, looking up at the beautiful full moon. Staring at it nonstop, enjoying the gentle breeze out here.

"Oi…" said Inuyasha quietly.

"Hai?"

"So…what did you guys talk about?"

"Huh?" Michelle was confused at first, but a second later she knew what Inuyasha was talking about: he was wondering what her and Kagome was talking about. He wanted to know if she was ok and not badly hurt or anything like that. "Well…she did most of the talking…she basically told me what happened when you guys first met; how Kikyo was resurrected; how you feel for Kikyo…" Inuyasha nodded silently. "She really cares about you, Inuyasha…she'll do anything to protect you and make you happy. But what's stopping her is your feelings for Kikyo."

He nodded again, and spoke. "I care a lot about Kagome. But Kikyo died a horrible death, and she came back to life…I can't just leave and forget about Kikyo for the rest of my life." Michelle thought about it, and he was right. "I'm…just very confused now…I haven't seen Kikyo since we both died on the same day. And when I met Kagome…she reminded me a lot like Kikyo…her looks…her hair and eyes. But the better I got to know Kagome, I started to fall for her…very slowly though…but that's when Kikyo came…" He sighed again. "My feelings for her came back…and I didn't know what to do, she was so angry…felt so betrayed…"

"I see…"

"That's it? 'I see' is all you can say?"

"Well, I'm the listener, aren't I?"

"Keh!" He hissed angrily.

Michelle sighed. _'Here we go again…'_ "What else do you want me to say? 'I'm sorry, I know how you feel' or 'I'm sure things will be back to normal.'"

"No!"

"So what did you want me to say!"

Inuyasha was about to speak, but stopped. What _did_ he want _her_ to say?

He growled angrily. _"I don't know!"_

Michelle stared at him blankly and stupidly. She closed her eyes, and smiled, and then she giggled. Inuyasha didn't understand why she was laughing, and he probably didn't want to know either.

As soon as he heard her laughing ceased, he felt a hand on his. He looked at the hand and then looked at Michelle.

"I'm sorry about you and Kagome, but I really do hope things will work out for you two. Get some sleep, you do need it." She quickly gave Inuyasha a kiss on the cheek and then jumped down from the roof.

Inuyasha was stunned…_she kissed his cheek! _

Back down on the ground, Michelle was blushing rapidly, _she kissed his cheek!_ Why in the world she did that for? Could it be that…she was starting to _like_ Inuyasha…No way! Kagome is the one that is in love with Inuyasha, she shouldn't interfere, and most of all…she should stay away from Inuyasha for a good while.


	18. Chapter 18

_A Journey in a Different Time_

_-Chapter 18-_

"It's Destiny…" 

"Kagome, are you feeling ok?" Mrs. Higurashi asked her daughter as soon as she opened the door to her room. Kagome was cuddling up on her bed with her eyes closed; her mother was starting to get worried now.

"Yes…I'm ok, just a little tired, that's all," answered Kagome.

Mrs. Higurashi gave her a nod and started to leave the room. "Lunch will be ready soon, so don't fall asleep, ok?"

"Ok." She heard the door closed and Kagome started to go back in thinking: About Inuyasha and Kikyo. She only came home yesterday, and all she wanted to do is just forget about Inuyasha and Kikyo for a while, until she goes back to the other time. Kagome sighed. "Kikyo is stronger and a lot prettier then me…" She grabbed her pillow and started to cuddle with it. "Maybe…I should stay away for awhile…or something…I still have to go back though." She sighed once again, thinking, what will happen when the Shikon no Tama is full once again? Will the portal close and she won't come back ever again? She's grown so attached to the other side, she wants to always visit there for the rest of her life. But all things must come to an end…huh?

"I wonder how Michelle is doing over there…I hope he's not giving her a hard time." Kagome got up from her bed, looking at her desk. Then thinking…FINAL EXAMS! Kagome put her hands to her fast and made a horrific face, screaming silently. It was yesterday and she MISSED the final exams! Now she'll never get into high school. She started to cry to herself, laughing nervously and also crying at the same time. "It's my fault for spending too much time there…Wait…that means Michelle missed them too…I should tell her that when I get back."

"KAGOME! LUNCH IS READY!" Kagome heard her mom calling from downstairs.

"Be right there."

_(Feudal Japan)_

Michelle started to scream when she finally got her school uniform back. She was rubbing her cheek against the clothes as she held it in her hand, as the others were staring at her awkwardly. She smiled to herself and quickly went into private and started changing, and came out, rather quickly.

"Hee hee, thank you so much!" She said to Sango and Shippo. "I feel so much better now."

"We…can see that…" said Sango nervously.

"So what are our plans for today?" Miroku said as he greeted them a wonderful afternoon.

"I don't know, we can't really go anywhere when Kagome is home.," said Sango, a little disappointed. "But I guess I can help Kaede pick up some herbs."

"I'll be gathering some chest nuts, I'm starting to run out," said Shippo.

Miroku started to think. "I don't know, what I'm going to do, but I will find something eventually. By the way, where's Inuyasha?"

"I saw him leaving early this morning, but I didn't know where he went to," said Sango.

"He probably went to the well. Well, lets get on with out things." Miroku started to walk off but forgot something. "Oh, Michelle, what are you going to do?"

"Uh…I guess I can practice my shooting," she answered, still thinking if she should do it or not.

"That's great, you really do need that," said Miroku as he patted her shoulder. "We'll see you around dinner time, ok?"

'_They do this regularly, probably…' _"Sure, I'll see you all then."

They all split up, going their separate ways for a while. Miroku, Sango and Kirara met up with Kaede and started to head out to the herb garden. Shippo went off to the forest to gather his chestnuts, and Michelle got her bow and put her arrows in the quiver. She pulled the quiver strap over her shoulder and started to walk to the forest too, a different direction from where Shippo is going.

But instead, she found herself facing the Sacred Tree. She stood there for a few minutes, staring at the tree. She put her stuff down and started to walk up to the tree. Climbing the roots of it, using her fingers to touch the missing bark of the tree. Her thoughts started to wonder to Inuyasha and Kagome, she knows they should be together.

"What are you doing here?

Michelle turned around, seeing Inuyasha facing her now. "Um…"

"Why are you here?" He asked her.

"I…don't know…"

He took a step forward to her while she took a step back. "How did you know about this place?"

"I saw Kagome here yesterday before she went back home…" Michelle said softly. She took another step back.

"Dammit, what the hell is wrong with you? Why are you backing up like that?"

"Uh…"

When she took another step back, her back didn't press against the tree, she started to fall back for some reason; she was going into the tree. When Inuyasha started to realize that she was disappearing into the tree, he tried to reach his hand out to grab hers, but it was too late when her hand disappeared into the tree too.

"What…just…happened there?"

_(The present)_

"Mom, I'm going now," said Kagome as she picked up her yellow back pack, filled with all sorts of foods and clothes. She didn't care about the exam now, all she cared about was going back to the other time.

"Alright but make sure you come back soon."

"Of course." She opened the door and closed it behind her, running over to the well house. She passed by the Sacred Tree along the way, but felt something rather strange, something she never felt before. She stopped and looked at the tree. Nothing was happening, so there's nothing to worry about. She started to run back to the well house again, opening the door, and closing it, jumping over the edge and going back to the other side.

_(The Sacred Tree in the present time)_

When Michelle came too, her back landed on hard concrete. At first she couldn't move, but she slowly got up and started to rub her back. She tried to massage her lower back, feeling a bit better after a few minutes, she looked up and saw the Sacred Tree. She then looked around, seeing the familiar buildings, Kagome's house, and the shrine…she's back home. But how?

Michelle stared back at the Sacred Tree. _'The Sacred Tree…it must be a time portal like the well…but I went through the well before…how come I can go through the tree now?'_ She started to think for a little bit. _'Oh well, who cares! I'm back home now!'_

She quickly got up and started to run, running fast to hurry on home, she quickly ran down the steps of the shrine with a smile on her face, running as fast as she could on home. She can't wait to see her family.

_(Michelle's home)_

Michelle quickly opened the door, yelling out. "I'm home!" As soon as she said that, she was breathing heavily, like she just ran a marathon or something. She slowly walked into the house and closed the door behind her quietly. She walked down the hallway and into the leaving room, no one was there when she came to the living room, usually she'll see her dad watching TV or something.

"Hmm…no one is home…" She walked to the telephone and saw a small, folded piece of paper next to it and picked it up. She opened it and started to read it, it was a note for her from her mom: "Michelle, whenever you come back, we're out shopping and getting some groceries, hope you'll be home when we are. Love Mom." She smiled and put the piece of paper down. "Yes…I will be here when you are."

She smiled again and walked up the stairs to her bathroom, striping herself from her uniform and started to take a shower, taking a nice hot shower felt so good. The hot water running down her body and through her hair. She grabbed her shampoo and started to put it in her hair, massaging her head as the shampoo was in her hair, rinsing it out as she was done. She did the same thing with the conditioner.

After she was done, she got out of the shower and put her regular clothes on, her hair a little wet now. She grabbed her brush and blow dryer and started to walk downstairs to watch some TV. When she got at the bottom of the steps, she heard someone knocking on the door. Who would exactly come for her or anyone when no one is home? Michelle sighed and opened the door, catching her off guard that it was Koya who was at the door.

He took a step in, making Michelle to take a step back. "What are you doing here?" Koya asked her. His black hair shining with the sunlight.

Michelle suddenly grew angry. "What do you mean? I _live_ here," Michelle answered him. All of a sudden, Michelle just realized that this is the second time she has met Koya. Seeing his beautiful black hair, and his gorgeous dark blue eyes. He looked like an athlete, maybe he plays soccer.

Koya took another step towards her. "It's like what I said: _What are you doing here? _You're suppose to be in the other world with Kagome and the others. How did you get here anyway?"

"That is none of your business!" Michelle paused before she can even say anything. "Wait…How did you know I came back home anyway?"

"I sensed your energy arrived in this era. So I followed it and came here, and found you, who just came out of the shower, I presume."

"Shut up!" She swung her hand up to slap him, but he caught her wrist in mid-air. He then gently pushed her against the wall, holding her wrist tight, up above her head, and then using his other hand to pin her other wrist so she won't move. "Hey! What the…"

He leaned in forward to whisper into her ear. "Shh…stay quiet and just listen, do not argue or struggle, got it?" Michelle nodded slowly, feeling her cheeks started to heat up. He gently sighed to himself, but to Michelle, he was breathing heavily on her ear. "Michelle…you have to understand that you're meant to go to that time period, and help recover the Shikon no Kakera, and make them whole once again. You may not realize it, but they need you, and they love you, as a friend." He settled his hand and started to wrap his arms around her small, skinny body, and held her tight.

"But…I don't understand…why I should go there…I don't belong there…And…all I do is get in the way…"

"That is not true, they actually need you. Not just because of your power, but because of your loving personality, Michelle. Think about Natsuyo."

Michelle's eyes widen as she repeated the name in her head. _'Natsuyo…'_ She started to picture Natsuyo's face, him and his beautiful blue eyes and his long black, braided hair…wait…isn't he…

"How did you know about Natsuyo?" She asked him quietly.

"I'm connected to you, I know what's happening in world you're in, but if your mind is suddenly closed out, then there's no way I can reach to you or even help you. Natsuyo…He needs you…he has a dark secret to share with you…but he's not ready to share it yet. He's waiting…waiting for you to be ready. He wants to see you and be with you…"

"But why?"

He leaned in closer, pressing his body against her, holding her tight. "It's destiny…Michelle…"

Michelle's eyes started to heat up with tears, she looked down at the floor, when Koya released her, he saw tears running down her cheeks. He used his thumb to wipe away her tears, then using his two fingers to gently grab her chin and make her look at him.

"You know what you have to do…"

More tears rolled down her cheeks as she nodded. He comforted her for another ten minutes for her to stop crying so she can pack up her clothes and some food, shampoo and conditioner, before she did anything else, she put on her school clothes. In the next twenty minutes, Michelle and Koya started to head to the Higurashi Shrine. Walking side by side was very awkward to her, but she knew, she had to return to the other side…she wants to find the truth…about everything…

_(Kaede's village, in the Feudal Era)_

Kagome was carrying her yellow bag with her bare hands, trying not to put anymore weight onto her shoulder, otherwise it'll be sore and in pain. When she got to Kaede's house and went inside. Shippo jumped into Kagome's arms, giving her a big hug. She smiled at the rest of the people in the house: Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Kaede, they all smiled back, it's great to be back again.

"Welcome back, Kagome," Sango greeted her, and went over to give her a hug.

Miroku stood up and greeted her. "It's nice to have you back, Kagome-_sama_."

"It's good to be back." Kagome gave a nice lunch pack to Kaede, and then she looked around in the house. "Where's Inuyasha?"

"We don't know exactly," said Sango.

"I saw where he went," said Shippo, he jumped out from Kagome's arms and stood next to Kaede. "Michelle was just at the Sacred Tree, when Inuyasha appeared and started to question her on who knows what. When Inuyasha was getting closer to her, he pushed her to the tree, and she disappeared into it. At least that's what I saw from my point of view." Shippo explained to them. (Note: Shippo saw this on a view when he saw very little of Michelle and mostly Inuyasha's back, making Shippo think he pushed her into the tree.)

Everyone was silent.

"He did…what?" Kagome said, with utter confusion.

Miroku bursted out in rage. "How dare Inuyasha push a beautiful lady like that! Not only did he push her, but he also lost the girl into the tree in which he cannot return to us now! I bet he's thinking of an excuse on why she's not here. He will-Ow!" Said Miroku when Sango used her boomerang to bang his head, she was really jealous now.

All of a sudden, they heard Inuyasha coming through the door way, and when he saw all of them and was about to say something, they all made an evil glare at him. "Um…what's going on?" He said with confusion.

"You…_pushed _Michelle into the tree…and LOST her!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs.

Inuyasha's emotion turned into rage. "What? Where the hell did you here that from!"

"Me!" Shippo said with enthusiasm.

Inuyasha's hand turned into a fist, rage building inside him. "You little runt! I did not push her! She stepped back and fell into the tree and then disappeared!"

"How could she _fell_ into the tree, exactly?" Miroku questioned him, with huge disappointment.

"I don't know! She just stepped back and then all of a sudden her body just started to seep through the tree and then she was gone! All but her bow and arrows left behind."

Kagome started to calm down a little, she first took a deep breath and then spoke in a gentle tone. "Take us to the Sacred Tree, then."

"Fine! I will." He marched out of the hut while the others follow him to the Sacred Tree. He started to mumble all kinds of curses under his breath as he leads them to the Sacred Tree, how come they don't trust him?

_(The present)_

Koya and Michelle stood in front of the Sacred Tree, not knowing of what to do or anything. Michelle had her bag with her, same size as Kagome's, with one strap over her shoulder.

"This is where you came out from, right?" Koya asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah, Inuyasha was talking to me and then all of a sudden I started to fall down and ended up here."

"Looks like the tree is your time warp, not Kagome's. But probably…in the end you'll both go through the same way and back."

"But how come I couldn't go through the well? I went through it before."

"That's something I can't say yet."

Michelle was confused. What did that mean? Does that mean he knows it and can't say it yet, or that he just plainly doesn't know why? Either way, it doesn't matter to her now, she has to go back to the other side.

"Well, are you ready?"

"Not really. But I'll do my best."

He nodded to her. Michelle nodded back and started to walk over the small fence that surrounded the tree. She turned around to face, getting a good glimpse of him.

"Michelle…"

"Hm?"

_(Feudal Era, at the Sacred Tree)_

"All right, here's the spot where she disappeared," Said Inuyasha as he walked to the spot where he and Michelle was talking earlier. He stood in the same spot where he was standing before. "I was standing right here, all she was doing was just looking at the tree, when I came she got scared and started to back up."

"I'm not concerned about the tree, what I'm concerned about is why she was so frightened when she saw you," Miroku started to wonder.

"All I did was just question her about why she's here."

"Ahh so that's why…"

"Oh I see now…" said Sango.

"What? See what?" Inuyasha was really confused now. "Hey! I'm talking to you guys!"

All of them looked up at Inuyasha and was shocked on what was happening. The Sacred Tree started to glow a bright blue behind Inuyasha. As it was still glowing, something bumped into Inuyasha and made him fall down and landed flat on his face.

"Michelle!" Shippo cried out.

"You're back! But…how?" Kagome asked.

Michelle slowly stood up, dusting herself off, her back on the ground. "I don't know exactly, earlier when I was with Inuyasha, I fell backwards and ended up in our time."

"So he really was telling the truth…" said Kagome.

"Yeah, if you put it that way. By the way, where is Inuyasha?" She asked as she looked around the area.

"You're standing on his back, bitch!" Inuyasha shouted out angrily.

Michelle gasped and quickly jumped off, taking her bag off his back also. She sat on the ground, trembling a little and also being a little scared. But Inuyasha wasn't going to do anything, considering the fact that she just told the others that she was a witness that he didn't push her. He started to dust his kimono off and then faced her.

"So…why did you come back anyway?"

Michelle simply smiled and stood straight up. "To find out the truth of why I'm here!"

_(Michelle's house) _

As Mrs. Bitting started to put away the groceries, she started to head to the phone to make a phone call, but she noticed something different, the note was moved. She gasped in shock and quickly ran upstairs to the bathroom. She saw that Michelle's shampoo and conditioner is gone. Then she ran to her room, opening the door, seeing that her drawers are left a little open.

She fell to her knees and tears started to run down her cheeks. "She came home…but…she must've…left again…" She didn't care if Michelle stayed home or not, all that counts is that she was here, gathering some materials, at least she was here…that's all that counts for now.


End file.
